Giving pollinators a helping hand

Pollinators - the bees, butterflies, beetles and other creatures that help to pollinate flowers - are vital to the health of ecosystems. They perform a vital service to the planet by assisting flowering plants to complete their reproductive cycle by helping to germinate the flowers so allowing them to develop into seeds, berries, fruit or nuts which in turn creates a new generation of plants.

Clearly without pollinators, a large source of our food and that of other creatures would disappear, which would be disastrous for life on earth. Worryingly, insect numbers have been dropping hugely due to amongst other things, habitat loss and the widespread use of chemicals in the environment such as insecticides. Pollinators desperately need our help. If you have a garden or even space for a window box, you can do your bit to help support local pollinators. Knowing you are helping nature can give your wellbeing a wee boost too.

Making small changes to what we plant and how we garden can help safeguard local populations of pollinators. A little thought to the type of plants we have in our garden can greatly help. Choosing flowers that are ‘pollinator-friendly’ - that is, flowers that are easy for insects to reach the anthers and stigmas – is one way of helping. Some garden flowers are so overbred that the anthers and stigma are buried under layers of petals so that bees and other insects cannot get to them to pollinate the flower. Single and double flowers and of course native plants are generally the best for pollinators. In addition to having pollinator-friendly flowers in your garden, having a good variety of plants that flower throughout the year is also beneficial. Check out the Royal Horticultural Society’s list of plants for pollinators for some inspiration.

Another thing we can do is avoid using chemicals in the garden. Insecticides are clearly designed to kill insects, but the use of other chemicals in the garden such as herbicides or fungicides may also have an indirect negative impacts on our pollinators too. Gardening organically is the only sure-fire way of knowing you are not harming pollinators.

In addition to providing a rich variety of flowers for pollinators and steering clear of chemicals, not being overly tidy in the garden, especially in the autumn and winter, can also help provide little micro habitats and places for insects to overwinter.  Leaving undisturbed wildlife patches in corners or along edges, or leaving areas where the grass does not get mown can all help. 

Finally providing a source of water that is accessible to insects. This could be as simple as a wee saucer of water with a few stones in that can allow insects to both access the water safely and gives them a means of climbing out if they do fall in.

Why not consider what ways you could give pollinators a wee helping hand in your garden or outdoor space?

'It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth.' Sir David Attenborough

'Where flowers bloom so does hope.' - Lady Bird Johnson