Wildlife Garden; The Minimum

[Barnes]

Early flower food plants for butterflies and bumble bees are really important even in rural areas. Honesty for butterflies and Geraniums (not to be confused with pelargoniums !) for bees are a couple of basics. I've also found the bees to be very fond Yellow Archangel - a robust creeping dead nettle which flowers in April - May, plus monkshood which flowers from May to June. Wall Germander is an excellent bee plant for later flowering, and a recent discovery in my very urban garden - Field Mice ! are fond of rose hips; I have an eglantine a 'wild' rose which produces wonderful apple smell and if left unpruned, the hips do not fall until spring. With the mice have come bumble nests !!

B

[Chalk Downlanders]

Originally Posted by life through a lens

I'd always try and make some space for ivy. If kept in check it can provide a home for a variety of birds and insects.

Olly

Ivy is a great haven for insects in the latter months of the year. That and nettles I could not live without.

[nightshade]

Honesty is always to be admired it is a splendid looking flower and has brought some interesting butterfliesinto my garden.There are foxgloves ,silene noctiflora, enchanters nightshade,michalmas daisys (old varieties)golden rod and of course teasels and the birds are finishing off the seeds of lung wort