Plants

Wildlife gardening doesn't have to mean creating vast wildflower meadows.

You can create a garden that is both beautiful and a haven for wildlife - and they can help too! Bees pollinate your flowers, or crops if you grow fruit or vegetables, and by choosing your plants wisely you can attract all sorts of beneficial insects to your garden. 

Adding just a few wildlife friendly plants can make a real difference to bees, hoverflies, moths, butterflies and birds.

A mix of native and non-native plants give a longer flowering season and provide a more consistent food source. For smaller gardens or window boxes look out for dwarf varieties suitable for pots and tubs.

Buying wildlife friendly plants

Many garden centres, nurseries or online suppliers have sections dedicated to wildlife friendly plants. There are also many signs and symbols that are widely used to show if a plant is good for pollinators or butterflies, or if it is a native variety. While this can be a useful guide, sometimes the information can be confusing and conflicting. If you're able to, we recommend you go to a garden centre armed with these questions:

1. Is the plant in peat-free compost?

2. Is the plant good for pollinators?

3. Is the plant free of pesticides like neonicotinoids?