[keepers_cottage]

Hi everyone.

Not been on here a while, have been busy with children etc but we have got back on the allotment this year and we are making good progres.

We have radish, beetroot, potato, leeks, strawberries, courgette's and purple sprouting in place and all are coming along nicely.

Although still faily young, I love my plot and we are very keen to make it a haven for wildlife without attracting the wrong species. Can anyone reccomend plants/shrubs or even alternative veg to attract Bees and insects that are good for the garden?

My kids love butterflies but these days I never see any caterpillars?! This is the part I really have no idea about, getting the righ balance so any advice is well received.

Cheers to all.

[savbo]

a little patch of nettles is great for all sorts of wildlife but particularly butterflies

Poached egg plant (aka butter-and-cream) is great for bees and other insects - sow in 6" pots and you can move it around, though watch it doesn't self seed

Broad beans are loved by bees

nothing beats a small pond for boosting wildlife - if you're worried about safety, you can have it raised or even an old washing up bowl will support a surprising amount of wildlife - just start it with a jamjar of water from your local pond.

sav

[keepers_cottage]

Thank you. Great ideas.

What is the 'poached egg plant', might sound daft but is it edible?

[arugula]

Herbs are bee friendly too. They love the likes of sage and chive flowers. Or you could make hedging/plot edging from plants such as Rosa Rugosa. These have flowers the insects love and grow rosehips. I love buddleia too, but it isn't very plot friendly being more suited to a garden situation.

[savbo]

Thank you. Great ideas.

What is the 'poached egg plant', might sound daft but is it edible?

It's Limnanthes - not edible!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/488.shtml
 Asda are selling it in kid-friendly packets (ie colourful, prob less in them!). I bought some and sowed them with daughter and friends yesterday!

[angelavdavis]

I deliberately planted a cut flower border at the front of my plot to entice the pollinators onto my plot and it works really well!  I planted a mix of annuals, perennials and quite a few spring and summer bulbs.  I also grow sweet peas on my plot (bit late to start them off from seed but you may be able to buy plants still).

   

I also plant tagetes (french marigolds), nasturtiums and calendula (field marigolds) in little strips on the end of the beds to add some colour, keep the pollinators happy and deter a few pests too!

[compostqueen]

Most plotters grow flowers about the place.  Wasps and hoverflies are important, as well as bees, and they all love clover- which I let flower in my allotment grass - and good old dandelion flowers always have a bee attached to them, so I mow carefully    I grow lots of calendula.  You could sow some sacrificial nasturtiums, well away from the brassicas to entice the caterpillars away.  Comfrey flowers and nettles are good for wildlife too.  I have a large expanse of hedgerow round my plot as well as a small pond    You could hang up a bees nest and make blocks of flats for insects etc. If you google you will find all sorts of wildlife projects to make for the plot or garden. The kids will love it

[keepers_cottage]

Thanks everyone.

Some great ideas so we will get started this weekend!