Time to get buzzy in the garden

Here’s our free guide to choosing and planting herbs and plants to attract bees and butterflies.

Bees and butterflies are in decline in the UK, but these insects are important to the gardener as they help to pollinate plants. By planting some of their favourite herbs and flowers you can help to bring more of these wonderful insects into your garden.

Plant a range of flowers that bloom at different times, ideally from February to October. Native plants are usually a good choice because they are easy to grow and tend to be more hardy and resistant to pests than other garden flowers.

Bees and butterflies have good colour vision, this helps them to find flowers, so choose a variety of different coloured plants. Bees are particularly attracted to blue, purple, violet, white and yellow, whereas butterflies are attracted to purple, pink and mauve flowers.

Choose a sunny and sheltered spot as bees and butterflies prefer this to windy areas. Both insects prefer plants with flat flowers because they are easy to land on.

Plants and herbs to attract butterflies:

• Early flowers, such as aubretia and primroses, are particularly useful for feeding butterflies that come out of hibernation in spring
• During April and May, honesty and sweet rocket are good choices
• Lavender, red valerian and thyme are midsummer varieties and will attract many insects
• In autumn, michaelmas daisies, sedum and goldenrod can give butterflies a last chance to stock up with nectar before hibernating
• Buddleia, otherwise known as the butterfly bush, is great at attracting the insect throughout the summer months
• Nettles are another popular choice, particularly for Red Admirals and Peacock butterflies. If you plant the nettles in a pot it should prevent them from spreading and causing a nuisance
• Adult butterflies are dependent on nectar, but caterpillars prefer to eat plants, leaving an area of longer grass or wildflowers will provide food for them Herbs such as chives, dill, fennel, parsley and sage are all favourites with butterflies too.

Plants and herbs to attract bees:

• Comfrey is a common wildflower and is loved by bees. It will grow in most areas, but prefers damp places
• Red and white clover is another good choice and is also popular with rare bee species as well as common ones. It is best planted in a border or meadow area
• Greater knapweed produces large purple flowers and attracts both bees and butterflies
• Some types of bumblebees have long tongues, which mean they are attracted to certain flowers, such as honeysuckle and foxgloves
• Lavender is another favourite for bees as they are attracted to its colour
• Most herbs are bee magnets, but their favourites include chives, oregano, mint, rosemary and thyme.