Help early pollinators
Plant spring-flowering bulbs now to provide a nectar fix for insects that have been hibernating
Now’s the time to think about next spring and it’s worth investing some effort in. Putting in springflowering bulbs now should bring a splash of colour that will be welcome as winter ends.
It’ll also give early-riser insects a helping hand. With the first of early spring’s sunny days, hibernating insects re-animate and venture out and about. They include bumblebees and some species of butterfly. After their long sleep, their first priority is to find a nectar meal.
For a nectar feeder, late-winter Britain is a hungry place to be. And that means plants such as snowdrops are a godsend. Early risers have evolved to take advantage of the native plants that flower in early spring. That’s a succession that begins with snowdrops and finishes up in May with bluebells.
Crocuses, winter aconites and wild garlic also play their part, as do grape hyacinths. All are well worth finding space for in the wildlife garden.
What they all have in common is that they’re woodland and hedgerow specialists that take advantage of a ‘window’ of opportunity. For a few brief weeks they can make the best of the sun’s energy before deciduous trees and shrubs burst into leaf – plunging them into day-long shade.
The first butterflies of the year are over-wintered adults of species, such as the comma and the small tortoiseshell. They search out snowdrops and the like along with queen bumblebees, which leave hibernation in late February or March and search for somewhere to set up home.
For the best effect plant your bulbs in drifts, or blocks, rather than mixing them. Scatter the bulbs on the ground by the handful and then bury them where they fall.