Please help me plant my garden

[woodysworld]

Hello ive got a small patch of garden 30ft x 30ft half of this is patio so far ive put in a nature pond that has been there for 5 years and is doing very well,ive also got pampas grass,honey suckle,various conifers and a twisted willow,what i want to do is plant flowers and shrubs to help attract insects bees,moths etc
my first choices are going to be sunflowers,poppy's,also i want to put in a holly please can you advise me of other plants to put in,i do not have a lawn area just soil so my aim is to put a path/stepping stone network down the path will be woodbark and gravel im just going to let it all run wild within reason, ive got a 4 year old daughter so i need plants that wont harm her or put her at danger.

thanks Mick.

[badgerwatcher]

Hi Mick and welcome,
Red Valarian is amazing for insects and butterflies, and grows year after year. Buddlia comes in lots of colours, my crab tree attracts lots of insects and birds, teasels of thistles are worth considering, ceanothus is good too, and lavender encourages bees like crazy. Have fun.

[badgerwatcher]

Meant teasels OR thistles.

[nightshade]

It is difficult to get resistant plants but Michaelmas Daisies are great for
Hoverflies (the older single varieties) Golden Rod (despite the hayfever angle)
Silene for night flying insects, the heady scented Honeysuckles, Flowering Currant, Solomons Seal, Pachyasandra, Spindle, some of the ice plants are good. Look on Warwickshire Bat Group for Bat gardening plants

[Susie]

Hi Mick,

The first thing I would go for would be herbs; lavender, thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, mint, etc ... they are produce flowers which insects like, they are pretty and tasty too.

I am sure your daughter will enjoy planting nasturtiums and sunflowers next year. The nasturtiums will attract a few bumblebees and also white butterflies (which will lay eggs on the leaves) plus again these are edible.

Every garden, even a small one, can fit a fruit tree in. Great to feed the birds, insects and yourself.

After that I would plant hemp agrimony, garlic mustard, honesty, sweet rocket, at least one type of buddleia, dog violets, primroses, hellebores and my top plant would be vebena bonariensis.

As far as I am aware out of all that lot only a few of the last ones aren't edible and pose no risk to your daughter at all.

[Tursiops2]

A comprehensive list of plants to avoid:
http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf...nts-153943.pdf
T2

[Jez]

Top plants in my garden are Small Scabious, Field Scabious & Devil's bit Scabious, Pulmonaria, Ox Eye Daisy, Thyme & Marjoram, Hedge Woundwort, Purple Toadflax, Dark Mullein, Greater & Lesser Knapweed, Musk Mallow, Meadow Cranesbill & biennial Vipers Bugloss!

[Ruth Daniel]

Verbena Bonariensis is brilliant for Bees and Butterflies......I even had a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on mine 2 summers ago!
You can stick it at the back of a border and it will come back year after year!
Good luck with your new garden Mick!

[woodysworld]

Thanks for all the replies lots of plants to choose from ive got a hole at the end of the plot that i am going to plant a Hawthorn in and i also wish to put in Holly, i like the idea of a herb garden but do you think it will be better to plant herbs spreadout around the various borders or keep them all together in a specialised herb garden.

Mick.

[nightshade]

Thanks for all the replies lots of plants to choose from ive got a hole at the end of the plot that i am going to plant a Hawthorn

There are some very nice Hawthorns with double flowers like Pauls Scarlet, a double scarlet, also a double pink and a double white