5 Ways To Create A Buzzing Wildlife Garden

With British Summer Time officially ending this weekend (hello an extra hour in bed for those kid-free), we’re thinking about how we can encourage bees, butterflies and insects back to our gardens, throughout the seasons. After all, considering that 90% of our food, plus trees which produce oxygen, can’t grow without a thriving ecosystem, we need to keep them all happily buzzing about! 

Here’s 5 easy ways to create a flourishing patch at home that insects will love, no matter how big or small your space. 

You don’t have to be a green-fingered goddess (yet) either: insects love variation, as dependent on their size, they can find snacking on some a bit tricky, so don’t feel pressured: just enjoy planting whatever you fancy. Even though wild flowers, they should not be scattered in the wild - keep these beauties at home!

Some of the best flowers to get bees busily buzzing are the poppy, evergreen clematis, foxglove and wildflowers.  We love this gorgeous illustration (by Hannah Rosegren) showing 21 annuals, perennials and herbs to plant.

Wildflowers, forget-me-nots, sweet peas and sunflowers are just some flowers that are easy to grow from seed at home. This method is suggested by Friends of the Earth, as not only is growing fun, but also helps to increase biodiversity too (which in turn, helps pollination).

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll know that we’ve been trying to do our bit to help the environment too, and alongside going as plastic-free as possible: we’ve also launched some brand new seed packets too. These pretty packets - which can be personalised and used as wedding, baby shower and party favours - are filled with seeds to get guests growing and spreading the love.

Did you know that not all bees live in hives? Some bees are solitary and like to set up cosy nest homes, by themselves, in soil and tubes. By making your very own home for bees, you can give them space to nest and have their bee babies, ahh!

You’ll need a few planks of sustainable wood (to create a few compartments), as well as multiple sized hollow tubes to make it welcoming for many species of bees. If you’d like to follow a template, the RSPCA have a great DIY guide. 

 With many of us tidying up outdoor spaces, ready for the winter, we can, unintentionally, make them sparse for insects and wildlife. If you can, leave grass growing so pollinators have shelter and a space to feed. Talk about win-win!