20+ plants to help the bugs

One of the principles of organic farming is to create a habitat that will attract and harbour beneficial insects. These ‘good’ insects prey on some of the common pests that can overrun a garden, meaning less or no need for pesticides. The nectar of sweet alyssum, for example, attracts hoverflies; their larvae eat aphids.

A mix of six or seven different species of these plants – or more – will attract a range of beneficial insects.

The goal is to provide nectar and pollen to feed the good insects through the growing seasons. You also want plants that bloom at different times, so that one species of plant is coming into flower as another is fading.

Hoverflies may start the season supping on coriander flowers (a cool season plant), move on to sweet alyssum in early summer, then buckwheat in late summer or autumn.

Some of these plants need successive sowing. Phacelia will need to be sown every six weeks over spring and summer to maintain flowers.

Early autumn sowings will produce winter growth that acts as a cover crop, then produces flowers in early spring.