Help pollinators thrive in your garden

From bumblebees to butterflies, these invertebrates keep our ecosystems buzzing but, sadly, many wild pollinator populations are in decline. The good news? Every garden, big or small, can make a difference. Here’s how you can help.

Why pollinators matter

Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, hoverflies, some beetles and flies play a critical role in pollinating plants. Unfortunately, unlike managed honeybees, wild pollinators are struggling due to habitat loss and other challenges. Your garden could become their much-needed sanctuary.

Create a pollinator-friendly space

• Choose the right plants
  Focus on plants rich in nectar and pollen. Opt for varieties with simple, open or bell-shaped flowers that allow easy access for insects. Avoid flowers with complex layers of petals that prevent insects getting at the food. Bedding plants such as pelargoniums, begonias, busy lizzy and petunias, and double flowered plants are not good for pollinators. If you are buying plants, look for pollinator-friendly logos on the labels.

• Plan for year-round blooms
  Provide a consistent source of food by planting flowers that bloom at different times of the year. For example:

  Early season: Crocuses, lungwort, heathers, and apple trees.

  Mid season: Catmint, blackberries, and fennel.

  Late season: Rudbeckia, ivy, and single-flowered dahlias.

The Bee Friendly Planting for Pollinators booklet lists 30 plants recommended by the National Botanic Garden of Wales and gives lots of tips on how to make your garden pollinator friendly. A fuller list of suitable plants can be found on the Bee Friendly webpage.

• Be less neat and more wild
  Cut your grass less often and let common flowers such as daisies, clover and dandelions grow. In early Spring, one bumblebee queen needs to feed on 6,000 flowers a day to have enough energy to raise her young. For more tips see Butterfly Conservation’s webpage.

Small changes, big impact

Bee Friendly is an initiative to encourage people to take action to help all our pollinators. Schools like Prendergast Primary in Pembrokeshire have earned Bee Friendly status by implementing creative and impactful changes in their commitment to environmental education, pollinator conservation and community involvement.

Bee Friendly is divided into four themes:

1. Food – providing pollinator-friendly food sources in your area.

2. Five star accommodation – providing places for insect pollinators to live.

3. Freedom from pesticides – committing to avoid chemicals that harm pollinators.

4. Fun – involving all the community and telling people why you are helping pollinators.

By simply adding pollinator-friendly plants or leaving a corner of your garden wild, you’re creating a habitat that supports biodiversity. Whether it’s a buzzing patio pot or a blooming flowerbed, every effort counts. Let’s make this spring not just a celebration of new life in your garden, but a sanctuary for the pollinators who bring it to life. Working together we can make long-lasting positive changes for pollinators. Take a look at the Bee Friendly Action Guide and see what actions you can take.

If you need more ideas and inspiration, visit the Bee Friendly webpage, or find out how a group of volunteers in Cwmdare transformed waste ground into a thriving Bee Friendly garden.