In a quiet valley on Devon’s south coast, Mothecombe Gardens is learning to listen. Not just to the seasons or the soil, but to the creatures it was designed to support. Here, pollinators don’t simply visit. They guide the way.
A garden led by bumblebees
Set within the historic Flete Estate, Mothecombe is a place where naturalistic planting, ecological intent and quiet innovation converge. From early spring through to autumn, the garden unfolds into a nectar-rich garden with plants chosen to offer continuous forage.
The first to flower are snowdrops and Pulmonaria, followed by clouds of Nepeta, Salvia and verbena as the days lengthen. By midsummer, the borders are in full tilt. Perovskia, foxgloves, Scabiosa and Knautia are layered with grasses. It’s a planting palette that feels soft and unforced, but behind it lies something quietly radical and unheard of.
In partnership with UK agri-tech firm Agrisound, our team at Mothecombe has installed discreet solar-powered sensors throughout the garden. These devices monitor bumblebee activity acoustically, detecting and recording the frequency of pollinator visits over time.
By tracking patterns in pollinator behaviour, we are building a picture of which areas of the garden are most effective, which planting combinations perform best and where gaps in forage may still exist.
The findings inform planting decisions the very next season. If one corner falls quiet in July, new mid-summer nectar sources are introduced. If a particular Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.
Where bees feed and teach
The Bee Garden is a direct result of this approach. At its centre is a collection of over twenty lavender varieties, flowering in soft succession from early summer into September. Lavandula angustifolia and silver-toned hybrids grow side by side, bordered by Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.
Beyond the Bee Garden, the wider estate is also changing. Wildflower meadows are being reinstated using A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since.
Mothecombe is not a garden chasing spectacle. By tuning into the industrious life of its pollinators, we have created a space that is not just beautiful but also necessary. For us, success isn’t measured in flower counts or peak colour. It’s measured in return visits, in the rising curve of bee activity, in the slow spread of seedheads, in the sense that something is shifting in the right direction.
In an age where The variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms) in a particular environment. Boosting the biodiversity of your garden has many benefits, including supporting wildlife, improving soil health and reducing the likelihood of pest and disease problems.
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About the author – Martin Haxton
Martin Haxton has over 15 years’ experience in horticulture and is Head Gardener at Mothecombe Gardens, where he develops planting schemes and manages the gardens with a focus on biodiversity, pollinator-friendly planting for bumblebees and sustainable horticulture. He is also the co-founder of Bee Verdant, a specialist nursery dedicated to growing plants that support bees and other pollinators.
