Surrey Homes | SH101 | June 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Heaven
Scent
Jo Arnell explains what you need to create the
ultimate insect-attractor – a nectar border
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Insects may look insignificant, but they are
pollinating our plants, playing vital roles in
ecosystems and generally going about their
minute business, quietly underpinning much of
what happens on the planet – and keeping us all
alive. We really need them, and their numbers are
dwindling dramatically. There is much that we can
do in our gardens to help sustain them. Making
an organic garden filled with nectar rich flowers
(and food for insect larvae) is very rewarding – and
not just for the insects. Gardening is an immersive
experience and to be surrounded by buzzing
bees, fluttering butterflies and wondering what
some of the others are getting up to, can be as
uplifting as it is to be among the flowers alone.
Early summer is peak breeding time for much
of our wildlife – this is the high point of the year.
The sun is high in the sky and it stays light for
the longest time, plant growth is vigorous and
strong and food sources are plentiful – in theory.
If we are to keep a healthy population of insects
and the wildlife that depend on them, we need
to provide a source of nectar for as many of
them as we can – and for as long as possible.
Pollinators
Butterflies and bees are the first insects that come
to mind when we think about pollinators, but
there are others that are just as useful, and some
that even helpfully combine pollinating with
pest control. Beetles, moths, flies and wasps are
all busy collecting nectar alongside the more
popular flower visitors. Wasps will gorge on
nectar, but feed grubs and caterpillars to their
young, hoverflies have carnivorous larvae that
eat aphids and ladybirds will be multitasking too
– pollinating and pest controlling as they go.
An insect’s lifecycle can be a complicated matter
and many need access to a range of food sources. The
caterpillars of several species of butterfly, including
Red Admirals and Peacocks, feed on stinging nettles,
and many others nibble at wildflowers and meadow
grasses, so it is important to have a few rough patches
at the edges of the
garden borders – which is a relief
to those of us that can’t help but
have them. Being untidy can
be a useful thing sometimes.
One of the very best things
to install for attracting all sorts
of wildlife is a pond. It doesn’t
have to be a large, deep expanse
of water either – a scenic washing up
bowl, or water feature that just has a
small pump to enable a trickle of water
over stones will provide a drinking and
bathing source. The important thing is
to make sure the creatures can climb in
and out without risk of drowning, so a small
beach, or areas of pebbles and a container
with shallow, sloping sides is ideal.
As well as providing food and
water for all these beneficial
insects, we need to
supply them with shelter
too. Butterflies need
somewhere to hide when
it’s raining and they all
need places to overwinter
and hunker down during cold snaps. Hedges
are great places for taking refuge in and even
fences covered in climbers will be providing a useful
shelter service. Ivy is one of the very best all
round plants – bringing nectar, winter
berries, and cover in the form of
a thin hedge – known as a
fedge – like a cross between a
fence and a hedge. A small
pile of logs, or just leaving
the top growth on your
perennials over the
winter will give places
for insects to snuggle
down in, away from
harsh weather
and predators.
Some plants’ flowers
pump out more
fragrance as dusk falls,
like Evening Primrose
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