Pollinators are a vastly important sector of creature that improves biodiversity and allows for growth and reproduction of many plants in a given habitat. There are many species of pollinators and they come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Pollinators are hugely responsible for most of the plantlife we have today. A lot of habitats such as Woodland, Scrubland and Marshland rely on pollinators to fertilise other plants and create the next wave of flora. More commonly-known pollinator species such as Bumble Bee and Peacock Butterfly are frequently seen in our gardens across the U.K but there are 270 species of bee, 60 species of Butterfly, around 200 species of Hoverfly and over 2,500 species of Moth in the UK that you may get in your garden, depending on the habitat provided. All of them play their part in pollinating our plants.
Wildflower meadows and hedgerows can really bring a vast array of pollinators to your garden, but they also show wonderful colours in themselves. You may not be able to create and plant huge expanses of wildflower meadow or hedgerow for nature, but maybe you can create small wildflower patches or plant a small row of mixed hedge along the side or back of your garden? A wide range of species of pollinator will benefit and thrive from such a wild space of your garden. Plants such as Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Buddleia and Wild Cherry are a great choice for not only pollinators but birds also. Hedgerows can bring in all kinds of pollinators including bumblebees, leafcutter bees and the much over-looked Common Banded Hoverfly, which is sadly far too often mistaken for a wasp.
Bees in particular are vital for us, since they pollinate our crops and also pollinate the plants that feed our cattle, sheep and pigs. Without these and other pollinators we wouldn’t be able to grow the amount of food we are able too, without having to resort to more expensive strategies. Also, bees are very good at making the delicious natural sweetener, honey.
Alex's Solitary Bee Tubes
A habitat and its inhabitants are closely dependent on what’s in the soil such as moss, fungi and soil type. Using that information from your own garden, you can find out which species of plant/wildflower will thrive, and what species that brings in, whether it be butterflies, bees, birds or mammals, there will be a home for everyone, but in this blog, we are primarily focusing on the pollinators.
For example, ground covered in moss tends to be damp or wet, and will therefore promote the growth of plants like sedges, marsh marigold and trees such as alder and willow. Wet soils can be great for wildflowers such as Ragged Robin, Meadowsweet and Devil’s Bit Scabious which are in turn great for moths such as Powdered Quaker Moth, Twin Spot Carpet Moth and Brimstone Butterfly. You may even be able to bring in more damp loving pollinators such as Large Heath Butterfly and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary depending on the size of your wet wildflower patch. Alder, Birch and Elder all do well in wetter soils and can create the perfect food for pollinators such as the previously mentioned Common Banded Hoverfly, Red Mason Bee, Tree Bumblebee and even potentially Tawny Mining Bees.
Marsh Marigold
Dryer soils tend to be a lot sandier and looser, which will directly affect the vegetation that grows in it. Plants such as Buddleia, Lavender and Teasel will happily grow in loose, dryer soil. These plants are also some of the bests for bringing in all kinds of wildlife, especially species such as Honeybee, Peacock Butterfly, Hummingbird Hawk Moth, and Red Admiral Butterfly.
Grasses such as Red Fescue, Wavy Hair Grass and Yellow Oat Grass are good habitat for smaller moths such as Blair's Shoulder Knot, Dingy Skipper and Six-Spot Burnet. If you can plant a good mixture of wildflower and grass then this will create a hugely diverse habitat. Wildflowers like Ragwort, Common Knapweed, Cornflower and Foxglove grow well in dryer soils. These species mixed in with grasses create the ideal meadow and the flowers will paint a landscape of dotted colour which will attract bumble bees, honeybees, Meadow Brown butterfly, Marbled White butterfly, Comma butterfly and many species of Ladybirds. These will bring in a vast array of predator species that hedgerows and wildflower meadows support such as Bullfinch, Dunnock, Harvest Mice and Song Thrush.
The importance of pollinators cannot be overstated. They are by far the most important group of fauna on the planet. In order for a wildlife garden to thrive, pollinators must be catered for, and in doing so, will bring in a vast array of different species.
I hope this blog has somewhat underlined the importance of pollinators and helped you understand how and why you should create a hedgerow or wildflower meadow in your garden.