As Spring awakens, though its arrival feels delayed in the chilly embrace of the UK, the air carries a subtle promise of warmth. In this season of renewal, amidst the gentle hum of bees and the melodious tweets of birds, there lies a vital opportunity to champion the protection of insects, our unsung heroes, through the nurturing embrace of wildflowers.
Embrace the spirit of the season by delving into the intricate world of these tiny yet indispensable creatures. Discovering their roles within our ecosystems not only captivates the mind but also instills a profound sense of admiration and wonder with every encounter.
How to Help the Insects in Your Garden
1. Why Are Insects Important in the UK?
Insects are magical in their own right. bees and butterflies in our outside spaces. vital to the ecosystem of the planet . birds, fish, frogs, hedgehogs, and bats .
Many insects are also pollinators.
They
carry pollen from flower to flower , taking it from the male part of the flower, called the anther, to the female part, called the stigma.
This process is essential to plants, allowing them to fertilise and produce seeds.
Some plants self-pollinate, and others rely on wind and rain to carry pollen.
But
many plants rely on insect pollination .
This includes plants that provide food that we eat, such as strawberries, apples, raspberries, and peas.
If you hear the term “
pollinator ” used, it’s usually associated with bees or butterflies.
But there are actually over 1,500 insect pollinators in the UK.
Check out this
list from Countryfile that helps you identify them.
You can see how much power insects hold in nature and their importance. why and how you can protect insects . how wildflowers have a role to play .
2. Why Should We Help Insects?
Our friends at Buglife, and the folks at Kent Wildlife Trust, carried out the
Bugs Matter Citizen Science Survey .
They asked people to count the number of insects splattered against their vehicle number plates.
They then compared the results with those of a similar survey in 2004.
The comparison indicated a
58.5% reduction in flying insects in the UK between 2004 and 2021
You can look at the
full survey report for more facts and figures.
Of course, this measures a small section of the overall insect population.
But it’s a good indicator of the wider situation where research suggests that around
40% of the world’s insect population could become extinct within a few decades.
become less productive or stop producing altogether . decline in insect numbers .
This situation may sound very sad and downbeat.good news . protect insects and help them to thrive . invertebrate protection organisation Buglife to bring more of these flowers to London. B-Lines initiatives . create insect pathways across rural and urban areas. wildflower-rich habitats that act as stepping stones for insects that link current wildlife areas.
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We’re hugely excited by our work with Buglife.
It’s part of our
sustainable ethos at Blooming Haus.
We also work with
Ecologi ,
The National Forest , and the
Woodland Trust .
Whenever someone buys one of our
unique floral creations , we
fund a tree to be planted in their name .
Doing this tackles climate change and protects the habitats of wildlife, including insects.
So you can buy a beautiful gift or flowers for your home or business and simultaneously
protect the environment and insects .
3. How Do Wildflowers Help Insects?
Want to know more about how wildflowers protect insects ? feed on nectar and pollen . acre of wildflower meadow containing around three million flowers can produce around one kg of nectar sugar to support around 96,000 honey bees daily. Wildflowers also provide food for predatory insects like ladybirds and hoverflies in the form of pests such as aphids.
stabilise the soil and reduce the risk of flooding . recognised medicinal properties .
So, wildflowers are good for our insect friends . protect our planet . lost 97% of our wildlife meadows in the UK since the 1930s . lowers that attract bees and butterflies is always a good idea.
4. What Wildflowers Attract Bees and Butterflies?
You may have heard on the news that honeybees are thriving in the UK.
While this is true, we still need to
protect bees and other insects .
This protection is so important because of the
threat to certain species of bees .
We’ve lost 13 species, and another 35 are at risk.
Many bees are in serious decline, especially
wild solitary bees, and bumblebees .
Butterflies are experiencing similar issues .
Species like the swallowtail and grizzled skipper are vulnerable, while others, like the high brown fritillary, are endangered.
See this
list of butterflies to find out which other species are in trouble.
If we want to stop the decline of bees, butterflies, and other insects, it makes sense to
plant wildflowers that attract and benefit them .
Keep scrolling to find out which flowers to choose for your garden.
Bluebell
These perennial bulbs produce beautiful bell-shaped flowers and a sweet aroma.bees love them .
Bluebells grow well along a hedge or under trees. bloom from May to September .
Foxglove
Foxgloves are tall, hardy perennials .
This gorgeous plant is especially popular with long-tonged bumblebees that find it easy to retrieve nectar from the blooms. bloom from June to September .
Comfrey
Comfrey is a hardy perennial that grows well in a herbaceous border. prefers damp spaces .
Comfrey blooms from May to August . favourite of bumblebees .
Clover
In summer, go anywhere where you find white clover or purple clover , and you’ll hear the buzz of bees.
In particular, red clover blooms are popular with rare and common bumblebee species. blooms from May to September, and white clover blooms from April to October .
Greater knapweed
Greater knapweed is a beautiful flower that looks like a thistle. magnet for insects , including bees and butterflies.
This species of plant is common in wildflower meadows. grows well in a herbaceous border .blooms from June to September .
Wood anemone
Wood anemone is an ancient woodland plant that blooms in early spring .
The blooms of this great-looking plant decorate a garden from February to May .
Buddleia
You’ll often hear a buddleia referred to as a butterfly bush .rich nectar supply attracts an array of native British butterfly species. buddleia is an excellent choice .
Buddleia like sunny or partially shaded areas of a garden . bloom from July to October .
English lavender
The scent of lavender is a familiar feature of British gardens during summer. blooms attract various British butterflies as they’re an excellent food source for these beautiful insects.
blooms from June to mid-August .
Common lilac
You can plant common lilac in your garden In spring or autumn .
Lilac blooms in May and June .
Stinging nettles
You may not think of nettles as a good addition to a garden. protect butterflies , they’re a great choice. popular food source for the caterpillars of butterfly species, including red admiral, small tortoiseshell, painted lady, and comma. supports your local butterfly population .
If you’re growing nettles for the benefit of butterflies, don’t forget to cut them back regularly, so they grow as well as they can.
5. Other UK Insects That Wildflowers Help
Wildflowers like yarrow benefit different insects. which insects you can protect with your plant choices when planning your wildflower garden .
Ladybirds
These colourful bugs aren’t just lovely to look at;
they’re useful too .
There are
more than 40 species of these beetles in the UK, and many prey on aphids and other pests.
These predatory ladybirds help
keep garden pests under control naturally .
Take some time to read our journal entry for more advice about this.
“
Did You Know You Can Use Plants as Natural Pest Control in Your Garden? Here’s how .”
plants with pollen-rich blooms , like yarrow, fennel, and dill, provides much-needed food for the seven-spot.
Hoverflies
Britain has more than 6,000 species of fly , of which more than 280 are hoverflies . don’t bite or sting . predators, and they recycle organic matter in gardens . valuable addition to your wildflower garden .
Hoverflies love knapweed, fennel, and ivy . dandelions and buttercups that flourish to attract these flying insects.
Parasitic wasp
Parasitic wasps are great at controlling garden pests . good for controlling pests like tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers, and cabbage worms . garden organically and protect the environment .
Image: Gardening Know How
Some parasitic wasps are attracted to a good supply of nectar and pollen from plants such as dill and fennel. feed on pests such as aphids .
Lacewing
lacewing larvae are most effective at pest control . eat various pests , including greenfly, blackfly, and whitefly. eat 200 aphids in a week .
To attract these pest control experts to your garden, certain plants work best. dill, sweet alyssum, yarrow, and verbena .
6. How to Identify Wildflowers
Wildflowers have decorated the UK landscape for centuries . valuable natural resource . 1,800 species of beautiful wildflowers in the UK . grow your own wildflowers . identify them.
You’ll probably know some species, like yarrow, buttercups, and bluebells.
But you may not be familiar with the less well-known ones.
This
useful guide from Countryfile will help you learn about wildflowers.
It also tells you which flowers are in season at different times of year.
We also love the
free PlantNet plant identification app on
Google Play and
Apple Store .
It’s super useful if you’re thinking of
creating a wildflower garden .
If you love the idea of
protecting insects with wildflowers but haven’t got the space or time to grow wildflowers yourself, check out
organisations like Buglife .
They give you an opportunity to get involved.
7. What Else Can You Do To Protect Insects?
Growing and supporting wildflowers isn’t the only thing you can do to protect insects.
Eliminate pesticide use
Using pesticides kills useful insects in your garden . pollutes soil and can contaminate water supplies .
So, it makes sense to reduce your use of pesticides .
Limit exterior lighting
attracted to artificial lights . lead to exhaustion and death .
Artificial lighting is also bad for other wildlife , such as bats and birds.
The Natural History Museum
provides some interesting information about this.
Reduce run-off from buildings and vehicles
You may not realise it, but when you wash the exterior of your home or vehicle, the chemicals and debris can kill insects . reducing cosmetic cleaning practices makes sense.
If you need to clean your property, use biodegradable soaps .
Be an Insect Advocate
Many people aren’t aware of the benefits of insects . becoming an insect advocate .
Tell people how amazing insects are and how they help us survive.
Build a bug hotel
Insects need a safe space to shelter and reproduce . building a bug hotel in your garden .
Doing this isn’t difficult and can be a
fun family project .
Check out this
advice from the Woodland Trust for inspiration.
Have questions about protecting insects with wildflowers?
Have something you want to ask about
using wildflowers to protect insects ?
Add your questions to the comments, and we’ll do our best to help.
We’d also recommend looking at information from organisations like
Friends of the Earth and
Buglife .
8. Other Journal Entries You May Like
