To attract pollinators to your garden, provide a continuous supply of food, a reliable water source, shelter for nesting and resting, and, crucially, avoid the use of pesticides.
Provide Food
- Plant Native Species: Native plants are best as local pollinators have evolved with them and are adapted to their pollen and nectar sources.
- Ensure Continuous Blooms: Select a variety of plants that bloom at different times, from early spring to late autumn, to provide a consistent food source throughout the seasons.
- Diversify Flower Types and Colours: Different pollinators are attracted to specific flower shapes and colours. Bees prefer blue, purple, and yellow, while butterflies favour bright red, orange, pink, or purple blooms. Include a mix of flower shapes (e.g., flat, tubular, cup-shaped) to cater to various species.
- Plant in Clumps: Grouping the same plant species in large patches makes them easier for pollinators to find, so they expend less energy foraging.
- Incorporate Herbs and Vegetables: Allow some herbs and vegetables like basil, mint, oregano, chives, and dill to flower, as their blooms are rich in nectar and highly attractive to bees and beneficial insects.
- Avoid “Double Flowers”: Many modern hybrid flowers with dense, multi-layered petals (often labelled “double”) contain little or no pollen and nectar, making them difficult for pollinators to access.
Provide Water and Shelter
- Add a Shallow Water Source: Place a shallow dish or birdbath filled with water in your garden. Add pebbles, stones, or floating corks to give insects a safe place to land and drink without drowning. Clean and refill it regularly to prevent stagnation.
- Create Nesting Sites: Many native bees are solitary and nest in the ground or in existing holes. Leave an area of bare, undisturbed soil in a sunny spot and consider adding brush piles or dead wood.
- Install a Bee Hotel: Provide shelter for solitary bees by installing a “bee hotel” made of bundled hollow stems or a block of wood with various sized holes drilled into it. Place it in a sunny, sheltered spot.
- Go a Little “Wild”: Leave some areas of your garden a little unkempt. Overgrown patches, dandelions and clover in the lawn, or a layer of fallen leaves can provide vital shelter and habitat for various life stages of pollinators.
Adopt Organic Practices
- Avoid Pesticides: Pesticides, including organic ones, can be deadly to pollinators and beneficial insects. Opt for natural pest control methods and only apply any treatment in the late evening when pollinators are less active, avoiding the flowers themselves.
- Source Plants Wisely: When buying plants from a nursery, ask if they were grown without systemic neonicotinoid pesticides, as these chemicals can linger in the plant’s system and harm visiting pollinators