Bee Happy's Plants for Pollinator's- Page for friendly advice,suggestions & links

its so rewarding to grow your own from seed ....and so many hardy annuals can be sown now to give you a great head start for Spring- So, exciting times ahead @martin-f

 

@BeeHappy where is the best place on the Verbena to take stem cuttings from please? I would like to have a go but not sure whether high or lower stem cuttings would be best or if it doesn't matter. I have four 'Lollipop ' Verbena, which are still flowering so if the cuttings don't take I could try the seed heads idea

@martin-f your garden is sooo pretty. You seem to have achieved a lot with only a relatively small space to work with. Its definitely a credit to all your hard work I would like some Nastertiums for next year. Do you have any issues growing them? I think they are prone to blackfly? But maybe the Ladybirds will like them. I don't see a lot of Ladybirds here ( although being so small they are easy to miss ),so it would be good to encourage them.

 

I've dug out a bit more yesterday but still aways to go. I want to take out the Anemones too as don't benefit the wildlife much, but might have to leave that for next year. I would like to concentrate on the strip where the sink is. This does get quite waterlogged during the winter and when we have heavy rain there is often standing water for a few days. Its usually ok in warmer months but can still get a bit boggy sometimes.

I have several ideas but can't decide what to do - as usual . Obviously want wildlife friendly choices. Thinking about Spring choices I was wondering if Hellebores might work? Was also thinking of Snowdrops and Fritillaries? And something in the sink which has more options as not wet, Crocus or mini Daffs or Cyclamens. Of course, I'm always open to suggestions

 

@luciusmaximus Agree with MartinF garden it is a credit to him, and a wonderful wildlife haven has been achieved in a relatively short space of time - just shows what can be done to help wildlife whilst having a wonderful peaceful green living space for you and your family to enjoy shall we award him a i'm sure you'll agree he deserves one

Take verbena cuttings (project) | gardenersworld.com - gardenersworld.com
Seeds are as I mentioned very easy to do as well

Another useful link its great that your also wanting to assist wildlife - and please post any useful links that you might find its fantastic that we can all learn something from each other on this thread
26 Plants that Attract Ladybugs

 

@luciusmaximus Have you considered a pond in that area - a shallow wildlife pond would be perfect to capitalise on the bog of that area Plants for boggy areas - i could see something like this would work? You don't need the sleepers as you have the edge of the paths also where the upright sleeper is that would be gravel and then you could plant candelabra primulas and bog iris, Purple Loosestrife etc check out the links for lots of ideas - you can make it as wide or as narrow as you want - the beauty of this kind of wildlife pond is you can add more gravel, larger pebbles, and rocks, at a later time so it can be an ongoing project -its a relatively easy care way of gardening by placing a plastic membrane on the ground all you do is sweep some of the gravel back fold the membrane over and then plant where you want to -place the gravel back up to where you planted and add the larger stones pebbles to secure - simples so if you see that plant you like providing its suitable for the conditions - you'll always have a home ready for it instead of it living it the pot FORever .....and how many of us are guilty of that - I did try to flip the photo to get the perspective but it didn't work, so you have to imagine it the other way round if that makes sense

Bog gardens: plants for/RHS Gardening
small bog wildlife pond - Google Search:​

If you're planning on digging out all of that strip to the end of the path, at the far end you could use any of the surplus soil you dig out to mound up and add some larger rockery stone to stop the soil washing away whilst the plants take hold- add some logs and plant amongst them to create a woodland feel where ground beetles will make their home, also above the logs a raised bug hotel for your ladybirds and interplant with snowdrops bluebells narcissi and various bulbs, wood anemone ,primula, aquilegia, hellebores - also when raised it becomes freer draining so allows you a greater choice of plants that end

Do you know which variety of Anemone they are Lucius? ​

 

@BeeHappy @luciusmaximus thank you for your kind words

Hi luciusmaximus, the only issue ive had with Nasturtium's is controlling them, left unattended they will take over the garden, ive seen a few blackfly but nothing to hurt them, the main thing that ive noticed attacking them is cabbage white caterpillar's , my gardens been full of them all summer the adults main interest was egg laying ,

Here is a part of my garden that needs landscaping its full of rubbish ive been having issues getting two trees cut down four accepted quotes from four different companies and they never turn up other area ive let them go is around my satellite dish, anyhow you will get the gist of how they grow,

TBH there too untidy for me I don't mind round the satellite dish but not rest of the borders like ive done this year, next year I will choose two areas and grow the climbing type

 

@BeeHappy I love the idea of a pond and the one in your picture is wonderful. However, underneath the layer of gravel and membrane ( inherited with garden ) is more gravel and then bedrock. Not much soil. If I scrape out the gravel on top of the bedrock I will still only have a few inches of water for a pond and in summer it would quickly evaporate I imagine. I considered using the sink as a mini pond, although my previous attempt with a different sink at doing this was unsuccessful. It may have been down to too much sunlight. Although this area is north facing, in summer it gets a fair bit of light and some direct sunlight.

I did have an idea for turning this into a pond. The pond would go where the remains of the bonfire is ( since been cleared away and levelled ) and the weedy bit could be turned into habitat. Just a thought for the future at the moment.


The Anemones were inherited with the house again, no idea which ones they are. Totally ignored by Bees/Butterflies and tend to be invasive. Very happily spreading themselves around front and back gardens. The Crocosmia also.

 

@luciusmaximus are they these ? Japanese anemone - Google Search
Yes crocosmia can and will take over sadly, as it's a nice plant - i only grow it up on a bank that is edged with a path so it has nowhere really to go I've also put it in pots and plunged it into the soil inside the pot in a border - yes it will still creep out but it is more manageable that way to remove
I think your location idea for the pond is great, so as you say a future project- i still feel that raising the level in that boggy area would serve you better, especially now as you say there's very little soil there and so unpredictable with moisture- you will find that bulbs would unlikely survive in that fluctuating growing condition unless its Iris then if it dried out maybe not - also the main issue is you actually getting any depth of planting holes, it would become a chore and not a pleasure so thats not good for morale when creating your garden ...so by using any surplus soil, turfs or compost you could create a mound that would fulfil your planting pollinator needs as mentioned in the post above - I think the best way is to draw down on paper what it is that you really want and what it will provide you in your garden, then see on paper if its do-able before labouring away and buying plants that may not work - I found myself going round and round in my own garden too so i know how frustrating it is , thats why i chose to do garden rooms as it allowed me to focus on one area at a time , and any surplus soil or turf was put into raised beds created with railway sleepers - i felt the cost of the skip to remove the soil was better spent on sleepers used for retaining beds;borders that then became seating in the garden to - it also as another major bonus buffered the wind, the only downside is that you cant really get a really good widescreen photo of the garden as your view is limited with pergolas arches etc so any pics i do take tend to be close-up pics - but its a small price to pay for wind protection and my sanity LOL as i was going do-lally not knowing where to start, end or finish - hope some of my suggestions links go some way to help and most of all enjoy your planning i was told that when i was stressed and its true it is exciting sourcing and learning about your garden and what plants would be best suited - so happy gardening and please keep us posted

 

Yes, I think the Anemones are the Japanese variety. Actually quite pretty but I'm aiming for as much wildlife friendly plants as possible.

 

A MUST read
EXCELLENT link to Pollinator flowers month by month guide
LBKA: Flowers for bees: Flowers by month
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Excellent link @BeeHappy ! I've bookmarked it.

It's probably already been stated but the best flower shape for pollinating insects are single flowers. Doubles and semi-doubles they can't get into.

 

@Redwing

 

USEFUL LINKS

Best Shrubs for Butterflies | gardenersworld.com - gardenersworld.com

10 Buddlejas to Grow | gardenersworld.com - gardenersworld.com
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REALLY FASCINATING READING
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