There are nearly 2500 species of moth in Britain, many to be seen in gardens
Two thirds of British larger moth species have declined in abundance since the late 1960s, and around 62 species have gone extinct
Planting night-flowering and nectar-rich plants will help to attract moths and other nocturnal insects
James Lawrence, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor, has designed this simple, attractive, and most importantly, sustainable border design for you to try at home, with plants that are easy to grow, widely available and look good together.
Pollinating insects are in decline, but there are plenty of flowering plants to help them. Including more flowering plants in our gardens can also improve fruit and vegetables – with more pollinators around, harvests will be bigger and better.
The thyme provides some ground cover and will help to prevent erosion of bare soil. Ground cover plants can also help to reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface and suppress weed growth.
Until the plants have filled out, an organic mulch, preferably homemade compost, can help to improve soil moisture retention and weed suppression. Mulches should be spread when the soil is already moist, to help trap some of that moisture before it dries out in summer.
1 –Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’ is a climber with twining stems of dark green, oval leaves and fragrant, deep red-purple and yellow flowers from midsummer to early autumn.
2 –Ligustrum vulgareis a large deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub with dark green, lance-shaped leaves and small, white, scented flowers in summer.
3 –Lythrum salicaria ‘Feuerkerze’ is a herbaceous with narrow leaves and spikes of vivid rose-red flowers from summer into autumn.
4 –Malva moschatais a perennial with slightly musk-scented, deeply fingered leaves and pale pink, bowl-shaped flowers in summer and early autumn.
5 –Verbascum chaixii ‘Album’ is an evergreen perennial with of greyish, hairy leaves and panicles of white flowers with purple centres in late summer.
6 –Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ is an evergreen sub-shrub forming a wide mat, with small, aromatic, dark green leaves and heads of tiny pink flowers.
Using scientific evidence, our extensive experience and the records of gardeners and beekeepers, we’ve selected a range of year-round flowering plants for pollinators to tackle the decline in pollinator numbers. The RHS Plants for Pollinators lists were systematically reviewed by our team of experts in 2025 and relaunched with new plants added. Visit our Plants for Pollinators page for details, and to discover more of the best plants for attracting pollinators.
Many insects are suffering from a lack of pollinator-friendly plants in the landscape to provide nectar and pollen. By offering a good range of pollinator-friendly plants in our gardens, we can help these essential creatures to thrive. Increasing is also beneficial for encouraging a healthy garden ecosystem in general, which in turn helps to keep our plants healthy.
Choose plants with a variety of different flower types and structures in order to attract a wider range of pollinators across the seasons. A succession of overlapping flowering times over the course of the year ensures there is always something available.
Gardens are a valuable habitat for moths, which are vital for the food chain and provide important pollination services, but there is increasing evidence that Britain’s moths are in decline. Visit our moths in your garden guide and recommended plants for moths to discover more information about attracting moths to your garden.
Using the ethos of ‘right plant, right place’ to create a sustainable planting combination is great for the environment. It helps to avoid waste, and the use of products and practices needed to try and help ailing plants, such as applying fertiliser. It also creates robust, long-lived planting that benefits soil health and garden . For more information about sustainable gardening, please see the RHS Sustainability Strategy.
By attracting more pollinating insects, this combination will help to improve overall biodiversity by in turn encouraging birds and other wildlife into your garden.
