Help! Need wildlife plants for May-June

[Africa]

I have a good number of early spring flowering species that attract insects, but my garden is in a low phase now and I think it will be until the lavender hedge starts flowering. Any ideas of plants that flower in May/June good for wildlife?

[Jez]

Hi Africa here's a few off the top of my head!

Aquilegia's, Ox Eye daisy, Dames Violet, Red Clover, White Campion, Common Bistort, Red Deadnettle, Dropwort, Field Forget-me-not, Foxgloves, Anise Hyssop, Lesser Knapweed, Greater Knapweed, Meadow Sweet, Dark Mullien, Welsh poppy, Common Rock Rose, Pepper Saxifrage, Self heal, Sheepsbit, Wild Thyme, Thymes, Yellow, Pink & Purple Toadflax, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Red Valerian, Hedge Woundwort, Field scabious, Knautia Macedona, Cirsium Rivulare Atropurpureum , Centurea Montana, Masterwort/Astrantia's & Cranesbills

[Africa]

Wow! Thank you Jez. Thats quite enough for starters. I've got a handful of these but still not flowering (the foxgloves and thyme are just a few days away). I should get some of these and plant them in advance for next year!

[schlocky]

You've left it a bit late for flowering this May/June! Wildflowers for most soil conditions -- Semi-shade plants: Cow parsley & Alexanders (v. attractive to wide variety insects). Germander speedwell (for many small insect types), Meadow buttercup (many insect types), White deadnettle (bumbles), Herb robert (bumbles & others), bugle (bees mostly). Open sunny areas; Oxeye daisy (a must have!), Red clover (bumblebees & butterflies), Birds-foot trefoil (small solitary bees), Catsear (many diff. insects), Red valerian (v. attractive to all types).

[barquar]

Take a look in Aldi they had some wildflower seed packs last week.
Barquar

[Cotham Marble]

Two natives and one non native to add to Jez and Shlocky's list - Yellow Archangle is good for shade and semi shade while Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) is a handsome plant for the back of a bed in a sunny spot. The Golden plusia moth caterpillars do damage the flower spikes - a loss I think is acceptable, and theres usually enough flowers left in my garden to attract bees over several weeks in late May into June.

In addition I'd recommend Geranium macrorhizome which produces a mass of of semi prostrate pink flowers through May into June (I've counted at least seven bee species on this plant at anyone time). It grows just about anywhere and is endlessly propagateable from the rhizomes which can simply be stuck into the soil, as such it's a great gap filler.

CM

[galanthus]

Cotoneaster horizontalis is an amazing plant for bees and hovers, mine is covered in insects all day. Lovely berries too in autumn for other creatures. By the way, if you have children be careful of the monkshood because it is more or less lethal to little ones if they eat it, touching it makes them ill too if put hands in mouth.

[acherontia]

If you like bees a ceanothus bush (mine's blue) will attract them and other insects.
I can vouch for Galanthus's cotoneaster too! The insects love mine too and we get lots of birds like blue tits foraging for grub (ha ha ) in it!!

Acherontia

[Africa]

Thank you everybody for the ideas!