Lessons learned
In the interests of transparency, my garden wasn’t always the welcoming home to pollinators it is now. As a wildlife photographer, I’ve always viewed flowers and pollinators as intrinsically linked. Although, for the garden, it took some time to really fill the space with ‘quality plants’. I didn’t pick up a spade, carve up my garden, planting solely pollinator friendly plants in some kind of instinctive masterstroke...
...It's still relatively rare for the initial basis of garden to be based solely around pollinators and wildlife, but as mentioned earlier, the tide is most definitely changing. The new generations of gardeners and garden designers are all too aware of the looming environmental catastrophe (climate and ecological) and crucially they are passionate about changing gardens and gardening to the betterment of all.
I freely admit, like many gardeners, my first venture was all about low-maintenance and simple planting. The Cottage Garden was my first proper garden. I'd originally designed a formal garden, with clipped evergreens, symmetry, and a crisp lawn. All very neat and tidy. Very green. Very few flowers. I was easily infuriated by aphids. Stressed by wilful weeds. As for those malevolent molluscs… Thankfully, that rather myopic adventure into minimalist horticulture and ignorance was short-lived!
Taking a better garden path...
In the years that have followed, I’ve learned many things. But the biggest lesson is that we, as gardeners, cannot continue aimlessly meandering along a vain, self-serving and superficial garden path, where the aesthetic alone dictates planting decisions. We are not apart from nature. We are part of nature and must consider the other wild lives that surround us, impacted by everything we clumsy, heavy-footed humans do.
During my garden’s development, as plants (inevitably) died, or borders were extended, I had more and more opportunities to learn. I gained a deeper understanding of planting, plant selection, and succession. I tailored my preferences to those plants that would benefit the needy. Rather than the individual gardener.
I also learned to relax. Yes, the aphids are there, but they feed the wrens, blue tits, lady birds, and lacewings. Yes those nettles are there, but there are also tortoise shell caterpillars stripping them to bare stems. Yes there are snails, but hark, I hear a song thrush smashing one for supper (that always tickles me). Order was unwound. Control was relented. Wildlife welcomed. Gardening has been the easiest it has ever been. I am a more relaxed gardener than ever before. I am contented. I am satisfied.
"The power of organic gardening and opening your space to nature cannot be understated!"
Perfection is an illusion
The ‘artist’ in me will always appreciate colour and form, the exquisite beauty of flowers. However, for the majority of the time, I look at my garden either as an encompassing view or as planting combinations and vistas. I rarely drill down to individual blooms, unless I’m smelling them or have a camera in my hand.
I don’t grow blooms for shows. I don’t need award winning idealised perfection and frankly neither do the 99.9999% of gardeners out there. So, please choose those plants that enrich and pleasure the emotional few, but really feed the many. Take ever more pleasure in watching the bees, butterflies and an incredible ensemble cast of fascinating and beautiful creatures as they feast on nectar and pollen in your garden. You can take enormous satisfaction in knowing you are there to help and support species far beyond your own boundaries.
Boundless opportunity
From those earlier chapters, hopefully, you will have recognised a considerable number of ornamentals… A smorgasbord of glorious garden plants! So, creating a garden for pollinators or adapting an existing planting scheme shouldn’t be fraught with risk of the unknown. Perhaps just inertia?
The vast majority of plants I’ve mentioned before are familiar garden favourites. Maybe, during the next trip to garden centre, nursery, or while turning the pages of the seed catalog, we decisively ignore the doubles or semi double cultivars? Maybe we opt for those that are closer to the species or look for cultivars of our native species? A broader range of plants would include those from the Northern Hemisphere: Europe (including the Mediterranean) and Scandinavia, North America and Canada, China and Japan.
These ‘near native’ plant species share similar characteristics as do the pollinators that feed on them. The added bonus is that many of these plants are tried and tested and thrive in seasonal climates. But as previously mentioned, you can still throw in a few exotics too. The added benefit of exotics like dahlias is that they flower later in the year, extending the season, when many natives are fading, setting fruit or seed. These late bloomers benefit those pollinators looking to fatten before winter. In my garden, bumblebees and solitary bees are especially fond of the ‘open’ single dahlias which will go on flowering until the first hard frost.
The garden can be so much richer with just the minimal effort of a little research as well as ignoring the special offers of mainstream garden centres. It’s as simple as Googling the plant name! Once you have began planting pollinator plants, keep an eye on them and see which are the most popular in your own garden and plant even more of these. To get you started, take a quick look at these two RHS resources:
Bee houses, hotels, high-rises…
I have a fairly large garden. Some would say a middle-sized garden? It’s about 1/3rd acre (1,500 sq. yd.). Whatever the dimensions, there is plenty of space for little fuzzy butts to setup home naturally, wherever they choose. I notice small piles of wood dust where they’ve excavated burrows in the decaying railway sleepers. The Bank is riddled with tiny burrows. The roses bear even more evidence with sharply scalloped holes cut into the edges of leaves.
Together they point to several species of solitary bee and bumblebee making nests or hibernation burrows. I’m fortunate to have such space, so I don’t really need a bee hotel. But they can look very cool and I think they are brilliant to get children involved, especially if you make your own. There is a vast range of designs available online. Although, these days, they are readily available on Amazon and in garden centres. I think I even saw them in Sainsbury’s (probably next to that section of garden pesticides! Seriously?!)
If you do want your very own bee hotel, PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL about which bee hotel you buy or build. There are several very unwelcome predators - parasitic flies and wasps along with pollen mites - that predate on the bee’s nest chamber pollen and its larvae. It can be heart-breaking when you discover that your lovingly arranged artisanal collection of twigs, tubes, and hollowed canes is completely devoid of bees. Especially so for young children. If you would like to know more about the pitfalls of bee hotels and how to choose/make the best versions, plus essential maintenance, do read this excellent article
Coming soon...
Now that we’ve had a brief respite from the torrent of information, I think we’re ready for the truly scary stuff.
Please don’t turn away now. You’re nearly there!
Just a few alarming snippets of data, some positively startling facts, then a trove of encouragement.
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