Attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

Cottage gardens, natural gardens and eco-gardens are ultimate places to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, insects, birds and other animals.
The current low level of biodiversity is an increasing problem worldwide, and that is why planning space for pesticide-free flower bulbs, perennials and seeds in your garden is more important than ever.

A selection of Plants for pollinators.

Picture: Erythronium Pagoda

Achillea
Agastache
Allium
Aster
Buddleya
Camassia
Echinacea
Eryngium
Erysimum
Erythronium
Eupatorium maculatum
Helianthus
Lavender

Leucanthemum
Lythrum
Monarda
Muscari
Nepeta
Phlox
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Sambucus
Sedum
Stachys
Verbena

Tips for attracting pollinators to your garden

In addition to flowers and perennials, there are various other ways to attract pollinators to your garden. Below some additional tips.

Buy organic and pesticide-free plants that are eco-friendly grown. Cheap plants contain often lots of toxins that kills bees and other important pollinators.
Put as many flowers and as many plant species as possible in your garden. Every butterfly and bee has its own preference.
Preferably choose native plant species and flowers that contain a lot of nectar.
Place as many flowers as possible together in a border, so that bees and butterflies have to travel short distances.
Use as few toxins as possible in the garden.
Buy an insect hotel or make one yourself.
Leave some weeds between your pavement, bees like to nest there.
Make sure you have plants that bloom for as long as possible (from April to September).

DIY insect hotel

Make an insect hotel yourself by using our DIY tips:

Find some old pallets and place them on top of each other.
Place the whole in a spot in the garden where there are plants.
Put stuffing in it such as old roof tiles, branches, straw, pinecones and old flower pots so that the insects can nest in them.
For more information about attracting butterflies, visit the Butterfly Conservation website.