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I thought it would be a good idea to get thinking ahead to what can be planted now to help the first emerging insects like queen bees and our hibernating species of butterfly like peacocks, small tortoiseshells and commas.
So, what are your favourites? I'm a big crocus fan, I think the display of colour you can get in a lawn or border is a great way to liven up the garden after a long winter and the nectar they produce is popular with bees. What bulbs or other early spring flowering plants will you be adding this winter or what do you have already?
As always, any pictures of your spring displays are welcome!
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Such a nice day today - I should have been digging up the dandelions but here's some of what's in bloom in my garden at the beginning of March 2024
Viola and Iris "Katherine Hodgkins'. They are a bit battered after the rain and high winds recently but I'll grow some more of these. I love how the bright colours at the centre of the flowers highlight the nectar bearing area for insects.
Tete-a-Tetes in another pot , not quite open so a bit of a cheat. I have a pot with dwarf yellow wallflowers but I can't get a good photo - need some more experience at taking some in bright sunlight.
There are a few other plants in bloom
Hebe odora var. prostrata. This flowers in the summer but there have been flowers for months this winter.
I love these winter flowers: Cyclamen coum, great under shrubs or a hedge.
A few of these buds on my Pieris are open but there's loads more to come.
Lots of clumps of snowdrops along the path by the hedge. They seed and I'm gradually transplanting clumps further along.
Cowslips self seed freely - I just dig them up from the rock garden and put them somewhere else.
The battered pulmonaria with spring foliage and buds!
There are lots of flowers on my Bowles Mauve wallflower that's been going all winter but it's blowing around too much to get in focus.
Hi Grandmamac,
Great to see what you are growing and I love those dwarf Irises they are beautiful. Do they attract the pollinators?
I grow quite a lot of Irises although flowering later than yours and the Bumblebees always love crawling inside them! They are one of my favourite plants so I'm always happy to try new varieties but do try to stick to ones that are wildlife beneficial where possible.
I've been in the garden all day today and the Lesser Celandine that most people pull out was absolutely covered in butterflies today! It was mainly Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock but I did also have a couple of Comma in today also.
This wondrous plant just turns up and parts of my garden are covered in it but the pollinators go mad for it so I leave it, 'someone elses weed' and all that!!..
Lesser Cleandine, Spring Butterfly Heaven!
Best
Higgy
I haven't seen a bee or butterfly yet, Higgy. Great photos of them on the Lesser Celandine! The winter has been quite mild here and some of the plants are responding to that.
I've seen midges dancing in the sunshine recently so it can't be long. The smaller insects do go into the little iris and there's even one blossom open on my blueberries so I'm hoping the right pollinators are around.
I like to have blossom available when the bees reappear and, in Scotland, we're never quite sure when that'll be so I hedge my bets. The wildflower bed I planted was dominated by yellow ox-eye daisies. I've just cut most of it back to take some of them out and make room for the annuals. I'm going to get some plugs underway this year as you advised. But there's probably enough seed in the bed to come through again as I left it till this week for insect cover.
I'm glad you left the seed heads on as I do this every year and only a couple of weeks ago the Goldfinches descended and had a good feed off of them as you can see here...
(not a great picture as taken from some distance but demonstrates what I mean)
I won't cut these back for a few more weeks as we could still get a cold snap and I would expect the birds to be down again. It's strange but even with the feeders full they still prefer the seed heads when it's icy!
My greenhouse is absolutely full of wild flower seedlings as I planted loads in Autumn not expecting much from them and nearly all came through! I have been baby sitting them all winter LOL.
I don't have a greenhouse, Higgy. I'd love one but this garden's too small. I don't really put seedlings on a windowsill because they get too leggy but I'm going to put some in a cloche under some eco-mesh to get them underway.
First bumblebees today visiting the Pieris while I cut back the Buddleja! Four ladybirds on one Hebe yesterday. I keep trying to tell myself it's before the middle of March and snow is still possible but it's hard to believe when you're pruning without a coat!
The birds keep bringing plants to my garden. I've been potting up Berberis Dawinii seedlings. I'll have to see where I can plant one or two since they must like the berries!
Lovely forum. But... I have an interjection some may not like: dandelions are good wildflowers for early pollinators. They have a bad reputation because they dot our pristine lawns and self seed everywhere, but some should be left. I think they're pretty!
I agree KH & I always have some in my garden too, I just deadhead them like any other flowering plant & that keeps the spread under control a bit! I have also let quite large clumps of Lesser Celandine flower this year, so useful for all pollinators & bright & cheery too! Can easily reduce as required!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
This is another good & informative thread which I have saved to favourites!
Sad news about my Astrantias which I posted about in October ... they came, healthy, planted in a large holding pot 'til ground was cleared ... then came the storms & endless rain ... No sign of them, think they have drowned!!!
Hi All
I wonder if anyone has found flowering plants which can deal with long periods of flooding? It might be a good research idea. I don't think flooding is going to go away. Even back home in Michigan they had flooding---which is very unusual. Maybe we need islands? Where hedgehogs and owls and other critters and plants can continue even if there is flooding? Mounds? Maybe filled with refuse? I get a bit carried away sometimes with wild ideas.
Karin,
Interesting debate about flooding and here in Somerset they have certainly have their fare share! I'm in North Somerset and although situated on the North Somerset levels we haven't had any flooding luckily.
I'm thinkg that Dandelions are probably pretty flood resistant!! LOL
And in support of your comments about Dandelions above, here are three pictures to show what I think about them....
I love then and even better pollinators adore them!...
Wendy,
Astrantia is one of my favourite pollinating plants and they are perennial so should come back in a month or so I would think. We are constantly saturated through the winter months here and they keep coming back each year. They actually like a damp heavy soil and will also grow in shade so a really valuable plant for a damp garden.
The Small Tortoiseshells always exploit them in my garden but this is generally in April/May so you have some time yet...