Surrey Homes | SH101 | June 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Nectar rich plants
Nectar is the payment the plant makes to the
insect for its pollination service and flowers
are the signal from the plant to advertise the
nectar source. Insects have evolved alongside
native plants and wildflowers, matching their
lifecycles and coexisting in an intricate dance
through the ages. The fact that we like flowers
too might help in the process – except for the
fact that the native plants are often so rampant
that we call them weeds… Luckily many of
our pretty wildflowers and cottage garden
plants – especially the self seeding biennials like
foxgloves, honesty and forget-me-nots – are
packed with nectar too and are easy to grow.
The worst type of plant for an insect is one
that has been bred for double flowers – a frilly
froufrou that has forfeited its nectaries in favour
of yet more petals makes it hard for an insect
to access what little food there is, or actually
impossible, because the plant has become
sterile and has no need for pollination. Some
of these flowers are very beautiful, but perhaps,
like an unscented rose, a flower that contains
no nectar, is not really much of a flower.
There are certain plants that pollinators really
like – simple, open daisy flowers provide great
landing pads and the central section is made up
of lots of tiny flowers, each with its own nectary,
which makes it worthwhile visiting. Bees like
tubular flowers, such as foxgloves, antirrhinums
and penstemon, and will even climb inside
them – invited in by spotted landing strips,
or – in the case of the snapdragon, hinged
doors at the base of the flower, along the lip
of the bloom. Bees are especially attracted to
blue and mauve flowers and can see colours in
the ultra-violet range that we can’t perceive.
Moths and other night flying creatures –
some beetles, even occasionally bats (but to
catch the insects) – are drawn in by the scent,
rather than the colour of the flowers. The
plant will pump out more fragrance as dusk
falls, so these make a lovely backdrop to an
evening seating area. The clue is in the name
for plants like Evening Primrose and Night
Scented Stock. Shade loving plants are often
scented too and many early flowering shrubs
will have fragrant blossom to attract in early
emerging insects – these are usually out and
about before the bees and butterflies wake up.
Designing a nectar border
When you are planning out where to position
a nectar border, think about which insects
will visit. Butterflies and bees will like open,
sunny places and are attracted by the colour of
flowers – butterflies to bright colours. A shadier
space will be attracting other insects – but they
are just as important and often overlooked.
The bed needs a range of plants at different
heights – tall, middle of the border, and low
growing ground cover for underplanting
and for the front. The heights don’t have to
be regimented – a few tall spires of lupins
or foxgloves can be placed in among
medium sized plants – and something
like Verbena bonariensis, beloved by
pollinators (or shade loving Thalictrum)
can waft through the length of the
border and make a see-through haze.
Plant in swathes if you can, so that
the insects can land and feed for
a while without having to waste
energy flitting around. Natural
looking groups that blend into
one another will look good and
if you are able to time it so that
as one clump of flowers fades,
the next starts to open, you will
be providing a constant stream
of nectar through the season.
Plants are expensive to buy in
multiples, but luckily herbaceous
perennials can be divided and
clump up quickly – and most are
easy to take cuttings from, so it
might not be as costly as it sounds.
Think about seasonality too. Weird
weather and unseasonably warm winters
bring many insects out of dormancy
early, so it’s a good thing to provide
some early nectar for those that are
active at the beginning – and end
of the year. Hellebores, early bulbs
and woodlanders like winter
aconites, snowdrops – even
violas in window boxes and
containers – could be a life saver
to a creature that stumbles out
on a warm day in February.
Late flowering plants like Salvias,
Asters and Eupatorium carry on
flowering for a long time into the
autumn – and often beyond if it stays mild.
Many of the insects will be needing a boost of
late nectar to help them at the end of the season,
building up their strength for a period of winter
dormancy, or just as a last hurrah among the
flowers – a final party filled with sweet nectar
before the weather closes in on them.
Join Jo at her Garden Design
course at her home in
Woodchurch, Kent. For more
information, and to book,
visit hornbrookmanor.co.uk
or call 07923 969634.
The bed needs a
range of plants at
different heights – a
few tall spires of
lupins or foxgloves can
be placed in among
medium sized plants
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