Creating A Bee-Friendly Garden For UK Pollinators

For gardens without much bare soil to spare, a ready-made shelter is a simple addition. Many gardeners start with bee hotels positioned in a sheltered, sunny spot close to nectar-rich planting.

A garden pond, even a small one, is one of the most valuable additions for wildlife. Frogs and newts use it to breed, dragonflies and damselflies lay eggs in it, and birds and hedgehogs will drink and bathe at the edges given the chance.

Placement decides whether the house gets used at all. A fixed position at around waist to head height, facing south or south-east to catch the morning sun, and sheltered from driving rain and strong wind, gives insects the stable conditions they need. Once occupied, the house is best left undisturbed through the nesting and overwintering period.

Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that occur naturally in soil, and certain species have been developed for use against specific garden pests. Rather than acting as a broad chemical treatment, buy hedgehog houses online each nematode species is matched to a particular pest, seeking it out and interrupting its lifecycle with far less impact on the rest of the garden than a chemical spray.

Bees and other pollinating insects rely on gardens for a large share of their food, especially in built-up areas where wildflower meadows are scarce. A garden that offers flowers from early spring right through to autumn does far more for pollinators than one with a single showy burst of colour in June.

Stocking the pond with the right planting from the start makes a noticeable difference to how quickly it settles. A good place to begin is a considered selection of pond plants suited to the pond's size and depth.