Gardeners in Bolton are being urged to bee friendly this month.
British Garden Centres, which has a centre in Bolton, is encouraging people to plant bee-friendly flowers this May in support of World Bee Day and to help the UK’s declining bee population.
Two bumblebee species are already extinct, and eight more are currently listed as endangered.
The loss of 97 per cent of the UK’s wildflower meadows since the 1930s means domestic gardens now play a critical role in supporting pollinators.
British Garden Centres’ Make it Bloom campaign aims to inspire and guide gardeners of all experience levels to create wildlife-friendly spaces.
This spring, customers will see three illustrated characters at garden centres: Bernard the butterfly, Georgie the bee, and Charlie the bird.
These characters highlight plants that are particularly beneficial for pollinators.
A variety of flowers are recommended for supporting bees throughout the growing season.
Lavender is a reliable favourite, attracting bees all summer with its fragrant, nectar-rich blooms.
It thrives in borders, containers, and on sunny doorsteps.
Salvias provide colour and pollinator interest from May until the first frosts.
These tall, perennial spikes return year after year and suit most garden styles.
Foxgloves are at their best in late spring, offering tall, colourful blooms in shades of purple, pink, white, and blue that attract solitary bees.
Other bee-friendly choices include alliums, aquilegia (Granny’s Bonnets), poppies, verbena bonariensis, and buddleia.
Single-flowered dahlias, sedum, and eryngium (sea holly) are valuable nectar sources later in the season.
Herbs such as rosemary, chives, sage, and thyme are also recommended.
Allowing them to flower increases their value to pollinators.
Gardeners are also encouraged to consider their lawns.
Leaving even a small patch unmown through May and June allows clover and dandelions to bloom, providing essential forage for bumblebees.
Alternatively, sowing wildflower seeds in bare patches or across lawns can create a biodiverse, pollinator-friendly area.
Planning for year-round support is vital.
Early bloomers such as hellebores, pulmonaria, crocus, and snowdrops feed emerging queen bumblebees in late winter.
Asters and ivy provide important food into the autumn, with ivy especially vital as one of the last nectar sources before winter.
Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres, said: “World Bee Day only comes once a year, but the difference a garden can make lasts all season.
“Plant something this May that a bee can use, and you can turn your outside space into somewhere that wildlife genuinely wants to be.”
For more advice on gardening for pollinators, visit britishgardencentres.com/make-it-bloom.
Comments are closed.