21.10.19

PLANTS FOR POLLINATORS FOR AUTUMN/WINTER MONTHS

 
Gardens play a vital role in helping bees and other pollinating insects.

For more information, click here. 

Different bees are active throughout the year, so you'll need flowering plants from spring to winter. 

Bees forage from flowers rich in nectar and pollen. Nectar contains sugar they need for energy. Pollen contains protein and oils. Bee species' tongues vary in size – so try to provide different shaped flowers.

Here are FIVE favourites of mine to plant now:

1 Abelia - 'Bee bush'
The headily-scented delicate white flowers of this evergreen shrub attract bumblebees and honeybees in Autumn.

2 Crocus
Now is the time to plant them. They look best planted in mass at the base of trees.
In Spring, bees will emerge covered in pollen and shelter inside the flowers overnight.

3 Helleborus argutifolius & H. niger
I think they look great together and will draw you into the garden in the colder months.

4 Mahonia x media ‘Winter sun’
This mahonia makes a lovely focal point for a shady spot in the garden, where its glossy, architectural leaves can be appreciated all year round. Give it space, as its leaves will spread, and conceal its long 'legs' with spring-flowering bulbs and small, shade-loving perennials, such as ferns for example.
Their flowers will help support overwintering bumblebees and honeybees.

5 Sarcococca hookeriana var digyna
It is a slow growing plant but I almost always include them in my gardens as they are very elegant and their Winter scent will add a touch of magic to your garden. Plant near a path/ entrance if possible.