Reviewing garden centre plants that claim to be good for pollinators

giveitbeans

Hello, I am new to wildlife gardening and gardening in general. I have started to grow plants from seeds, ones that claim to be good for pollinators, but not everything can easily be grown from seed so buying is another option. I was wondering who has bought plants from garden centres that seem to have swarms of bees on them when they flower at home? I have been dissapointed with salvia hot lips, maiden pinks and saxifragea arendisii but lithadora diffusa always has bees on it!

BrianD3

giveitbeans wrote: »

Hello, I am new to wildlife gardening and gardening in general. I have started to grow plants from seeds, ones that claim to be good for pollinators, but not everything can easily be grown from seed so buying is another option. I was wondering who has bought plants from garden centres that seem to have swarms of bees on them when they flower at home? I have been dissapointed with salvia hot lips, maiden pinks and saxifragea arendisii but lithadora diffusa always has bees on it!

I have a few Cotoneaster plants - they are always laden with honey and bumble bees in springtime and then with berries for the birds in autumn.

Downside is they are non native and considered an invasive species by some, grow very easily and may self seed where you don't want them.

Reckless Abandonment

I bought some origanum laevigatum aromaticum from mount Venus Nursery, the bees go crazy for it. Cotoneaster is excellent to.

M_Murphy57

BrianD3 wrote: »

I have a few Cotoneaster plants - they are always laden with honey and bumble bees in springtime and then with berries for the birds in autumn.

Downside is they are non native and considered an invasive species by some, grow very easily and may self seed where you don't want them.

I was just about to recommend cottoneaster also. Unbelievable for bees.

Lavenders good too.

I'm also growing some patches oc wildflowers from a packet that says to be specifically designed to live in harmony with Irish seasons/flora/fauna. https://www.bloomingnative.ie/

In the past I would have bought plants that displayed the RHS ‘Perfect for Pollinators’ logo as a way of choosing pollinator friendly plants. However I often wondered how beneficial they were, were they pesticide/chemical free? It seems to be at the discretion of the growers. There doesn’t seem to be huge regulation in what qualifies as ‘perfect for pollinators’. Recently I came across this from the RHS, it seems they themselves are looking at the use of the logo.

So what I try to do, (not always possible) but as far as I can I pick plants from the RHS pollinators list and source them from organic centres or try grow them from seed myself. Seedaholic has a great selection of organic seeds.

Jim_Hodge

There is a multitude of ordinary garden plants that attract large numbers of pollinators. Cotoneaster, geranium grandiflora, welsh poppies, Solomon's seal, heathers, privet, euonymus, foxgloves, lavender....

And that's just looking about me as I type,.

Many of the garden centre staples are excellent for bees of all kinds without going the wildflower route.

Fann Linn

Looking at my blue Ceonthous full of bees as I type.

Ulmus

Foxgloves are my favourite bee plant. They're so easy to grow - just scatter the seeds in flowerbeds in the autumn. They're a biennial and won't flower until the second year but once they do they'll self-seed. Catmint is also a great plant for bees.

looksee

The hardy geraniums are great for insects of all kinds, always a few and sometimes they are buzzing with insects. Agree about the foxgloves and lavender.

tromtipp

This booklet has stuff on plants that are good for pollinators as well as other stuff. It points out that fruit trees and herbs are useful.

https://laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/Garden-Wildlife-Booklet-WEB-17MB.pdf

The rule of thumb used to be single flowers better than double, scented plants better than unscented, pale flowered things good for moths, extending the season that there are flowers in your garden is good, dandelions and ivy are great.

Things I've seen covered in bees in this and previous years - welsh poppies, mountain cornflower, mourning widow geranium, sunflowers, chives, marjoram, sedum.