Attracting pollinators to your garden

With National Bee Day on 20th May we have selected our Wildlife Border as our border of the month. Featuring bee-loving plants including buddleja, rosemary, lavender geraniums and many more nectar producing plants including flowering perennials and hardy flowering shrubs. Did you know?

• There are more than 270 species of bee recorded in Britain

• A healthy environment needs bees

• Different bees have different personalities

• Since 1900 the UK has lost 13 species of bee

• Habitat loss, disease, pesticides and pollution are some of the reasons why our bee populations are declining

• Bee-friendly plants play a huge part in helping to keep bee numbers up

For more bee facts head to friendsoftheearth.co.uk Antony’s top tips for looking after the bees in your garden

Choose pest control carefully If you need to use a pest control spray or solution always check whether it is free of neonicotinoids, if it is, the product packaging will usually mention it on the front of the bottle. Make a home for bees Solitary bees like to nest in the soil or in hollow plant stems. If you have some old canes, some bits of wood and pine cones, make a small insect house in a sheltered corner of the garden. The bees will move into the cane-hollows in no time and it's fascinating to sit and watch them busily buzzing  in out of their nests. Weeds Bees love weeds, especially lawn weeds and that includes the dreaded dandelion! If you are not interested in creating the most perfect lawn you could consider leaving a few dandelions, daisies and buttercups for the bees. Alternatively you could create a wild lawn using wild flowers.

For more great ideas head to the RHS’ website
Plant beds and borders with bees in mind
Our Wildlife Border includes a range of plants that are not only beneficial to pollinators, but also support birds and bats. Some of the plant varieties includeL  Anemone, Aster, Buddleja, Campanula, Ceanothus, Coreopsis, Erysemum, Escallonia, Geranium, Hebe, Helenium, Hellebores, Lavender, Ligustrum, Lonicera, Nepeta, Penstemon, Pyracantha, Rosemary, Salvia, Scabiousa, Viburnum, Weigela

Click here to find out more about our Wildlife Border.