Grow a year-round bee buffet
Recent RHS research gives clues on how to feed pollinating insects in your garden all year round
Gardens really do matter when it comes to wildlife. Particularly in the case of pollinators because they have an unstable food supply throughout much of our countryside. The loss of hay meadows, hedges and other flower-rich habitats to intensive agriculture is bad news for insects like bees and butterflies, which need or pollen to survive and reproduce.
The result is that pollinators' farmland food supplies are characterised by boom-and-bust cycles, dominated by just a handful of flowering species. In contrast, if we pick suitable plants, our gardens can provide a diverse and continuous supply of floral resources all through the year.
One particular recommendation that came out of our recent research was to plant nectar-rich shrubs with complementary flowering periods and to prioritise flowers with an open structure in late summer and autumn.
RHS podcast
Hear a podcast interview with Nick in Gardening with the RHS, discussing the findings of his recent research.
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Holly-leafed hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius) has flowers full of pollen and nectar
You can find queen bumblebees freshly emerged from hibernation as early as February. Solitary bees (such as mason bees) and butterflies are on the wing from March. While much of the countryside is still bleak and inhospitable, gardeners can help pollinators by planting hellebores, Pulmonaria and grape hyacinths, along with willows and cherries where space allows.
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Tussock bellflower (Campanula carpatica) is a low-growing plant that's perfect for growing in a raised bed or alongside a sunny patio
There are many different sources of food available to pollinators by the summer, but also much more competition for them. Floral diversity results in a balanced diet, important for healthy growth and development. To make sure there is food for every bee, fly, moth, butterfly and beetle which needs it, plant an assortment of summer-blooming species, including honeysuckle, bellflower, lavender and single-flowered roses. Mowing the lawn just a little less often will give the chance for clovers, dandelions and other so-called weeds to flower.
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Sedum 'Autumn Joy' (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude') has open flowers with easily accessible pollen and nectar
By the autumn, a handful of plants begin to dominate nectar supplies, particularly fuchsias, salvias and crocosmias. For many pollinators, however, these flowers are entirely useless as their nectar is hidden away down a long tube, only accessible to insects with long tongues. To help many solitary bees and hoverflies, prioritise open and accessible flowers, such as sedums, coneflowers (Echinacea), ivy (Hedera) and oregano.
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Mahonia × media 'Charity' is a tough, compact evergreen shrub with colourful insect-friendly flowers in late autumn and early winter
Few pollinators are still active in winter, with most species dying off to leave behind the next generation as eggs, larvae or pupae. But buff-tailed bumblebees can remain in flight, vibrating their wings to warm up and forage in temperatures approaching freezing point. To do so they need a lot of energy-rich nectar, so stock your garden with mahonias, sweet box, winter honeysuckle or a strawberry tree.
