Join Will at Coolings Potted Garden Nursery for a guide on herbaceous plants that are loved by bees, butterflies and birds:

Plants featured in Will’s video:

Loved by Bees

• Nepeta (Catmint) – particularly attractive to bumblebees but also loved by cats! An easy to grow perennial with aromatic leaves and a long flowering period.

• Geranium ‘Rozanne’ – loved by solitary bees. Most Geraniums are popular with bees, however varieties with violet and blue flowers are favoured.

• Helenium (Sneezeweed) – attractive to honeybees. Vibrant, cheerful blooms from midsummer through to Autumn, helping honeybees stock up for the cooler months ahead.

Loved by Butterflies

• Achillea (Yarrow) – a must-have perennial for every butterfly garden. Lively blooms rise above ferny foliage providing the perfect landing place for butterflies.

• Verbena bonariensis (Purple top) – a very popular and easy perennial plant to grow in borders, tall stems of dancing purple flowers make them perfect for butterflies to collect nectar from.

Loved by Birds

• Echinops (Globe thistle) – visually striking with purple-blue spherical flower heads, provide oil-rich seeds for birds to enjoy into wintertime.

• Echinacea (Coneflower) – Masses of stunning blooms, don’t cut back the Summer flowers once they start to fade as the seed heads are favourites for many birds in Autumn and Winter. Cut stems back to the base in Spring.

• Angelica – crimson-pink stems contrast against umbrella-like clusters of yellow flowers in early Summer turning to beautiful seed pods, also attractive to a range of insects.

If you have a grow, let us know!

We would love to see photos and videos of your gardening projects. See the links to our social media accounts below and tag us in your posts using #coolingsgc

Happy gardening!