Take part in a new survey that peeks over the garden fence to discover which pollinator-friendly plants are being grown in UK gardens
With summer truly underway (despite the weather), more and more plants are exploding into a riot of colourful flowers, creating delicious displays that pollinators enjoy as much as we do. Now the RHS and the University of Bristol are asking gardeners to take part in a new study to identify the most commonly grown pollinator-friendly plants.
It’s well known that gardens play an important role in attracting and sustaining pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and moths, but to fully understand whether this potential is being realised we need to know which plants are being grown and where. It is especially important because of the struggles pollinators are currently facing.
This survey will help RHS scientists prioritise future research into the quality of resources provided for pollinators in UK gardens.
Many gardeners will already be familiar with the RHS’ Perfect for Pollinators list, however the RHS is keen to tap into the knowledge and experience of the UK’s gardeners to enhance the information and assess how good our gardens are for pollinators. As part of the survey, we're asking gardeners to nominate pollinator-friendly plants not currently listed.
Get involved
You don’t need to have a big garden to take part in the survey; the RHS want to know what you are growing in containers, window boxes, hanging baskets and urban gardens to attract pollinators too.
The survey runs from July until September 2016. The data will be analysed by scientists at the RHS and the University of Bristol over the autumn with the results expected by the end of the year.
Click here to take part
This survey is based on a pilot study conducted between December 2015 and January 2016. Anyone who completed the pilot survey is also welcome to take part.
