FLOWERS THEY’LL FANCY

THE BLOOMS TO TURN YOUR GARDEN INTO A HIVE OF ACTIVITY FOR THE SMALLEST OF CREATURES

APPLE TREE

The beautiful blossom of apple trees is a magnet for bees and other pollinating insects, who find the open, bowl shape of the flowers easily accessible. In turn, the insects pollinate the trees to provide fruit.

FENNEL

Umbellifers such as fennel (above), dill, cow parsley, Ammi majus, coriander, Orlaya grandiflora and Selinum wallichianum all have superb nectarrich flower heads for bees and butterflies. Mining bees, yellowfaced bees, honeybees and bumblebees are all particularly fond of fennel.

CHIVES

Bees and butterflies like purple flowers, especially those belonging to members of the allium family, including chives (pictured right) and ornamental alliums (left). Bumblebees, leafcutter bees, honeybees and mason bees are all regular grazers.

WEIGELA

Weigela, seen right, is one of several flowering shrubs visited by bees. Others include mahonia, cotoneaster, ceanothus, lilac (pictured), buddleia and shrub roses (centre of main picture). Grow all of them for a yearround food source for bees.

PINKS AND RUE

Dianthus, or pinks (pictured left) have a long flowering season, are ideal for edging borders, and bees and butterflies love them. The attractive leaves of the herb rue (shown in flower, right) are a vital food source for the caterpillars of the swallowtail butterfly.

TRADESCANTIA

Also called spiderwort, possibly due to the shape of its leaves, this flowers from summer into autumn and is a favourite of butterflies and bees.

GO NATIVE

Research shows honeybees particularly like native plant species such as wild strawberry (pictured). Other native plants they’re fond of include hellebores, ivy, viper’s bugloss and greater knapweed.

GOLDEN HOP

The greenish-yellow, aromatic female flower clusters of the golden hop, Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’, are a big draw for butterflies. The leaves provide food for caterpillars, including those of the comma butterfly.

SANTOLINA

With its fragrant silver foliage and yellow pom-pom flowers, Santolina chamaecyparissus, or cotton lavender, looks wonderful at the front of the border or in pots. It’s also extremely attractive to pollinators, including bees.

STRAWBERRY TREE

Otherwise known as Arbutus unedo, this can be grown as a tree or large shrub. Its autumn flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees, while its strawberry-like fruits are a bonus for birds. Other butterfly-friendly shrubs include buddleia, hebe and holly.

DAISIES

Most members of the daisy family, including the Michaelmas variety (pictured left), are a valuable nectar source for butterflies. Other good flowers for butterflies include rudbeckias, sedums, goldenrod, scabious, cosmos and delphiniums.

BOX PLANTS

Not only is it excellent for topiary or low hedges, but box ( Buxus sempervirens) bears pretty yellow flowers that attract bees. Other bee-friendly hedges include privet, holly, hawthorn, pyracantha and Viburnum tinus.

LAVENDER

Plant in a warm, sunny spot and lavender’s purple flower spikes will be packed with pollinators all summer. Butterflies will follow its scent, while studies have shown that bees prefer the English variety to the French.

HONEYSUCKLE

Moths are drawn to nightscented plants such as honeysuckle (pictured), jasmine, evening primrose, Nicotiana alata and nightscented stock. Many of these have evolved their perfume to specifically attract moths to pollinate their flowers.

ANGELICA

Nectar-rich angelica is a vital food source for hoverflies and early bees such as the hairyfooted flower bee and queen bumblebees.

VALERIAN

With clusters of red (pictured below), pink or white blooms, valerian is popular with bees, moths and butterflies.

SAGE

Bumblebees, leafcutter bees and butterflies love the purple spiked flowers of this herb. Sage is a member of the mint family, and as well as liking mint flowers, bees and butterflies are partial to their close relatives nepeta and salvia.