5 ways you can help the insects in your garden
As the warmer months are approaching , you may be wondering how you can improve the appearance of your garden and the different insects you can see.
Here are five ideas to increase the number of pollinators buzzing around your lawns.
1.Building a bug hotel/bug mansion-
If you fancy a task on a rainy day- a bug hotel provides the perfect project to keep you busy as a bee.
Bug mansions or hotels provide a safe place for insects (particularly pollinators) to shelter when it is cold or windy in the colder months.
Some materials you could use are:
- Bamboo
- Loose Bark
- String
- Cardboard
- Pipe
- Sticks and Leaves
- Stems
- Logs and Twigs
2. Planting the right species
To ensure you are attracting the right insects to improve the pollination, ensure that you are planting the right flowers so that the insects are more likely to visit.
As seasons change different pollinators are attracted to different species.
For Bees, plant:
- Lavender
- Hawthorn
- Bluebells
- Buddleia
For Butterflies, plant:
- Buddleia
- Red Valerian
- Hebe
- Sedum
3. Leaving your grass to grow
By letting your grass grow, allows many different species to populate the garden which will in turn, increase the amount of pollination happening in your garden.
As well as leaving the lawn to grow, you can also do this with other planted areas.
Perhaps you could take part in No Mow May to see how it increases the biodiversity in your garden. If you like the result, you could do this again in the warmer months and see what different creatures you can see.
4. Stop using chemical fertilisers
Instead of buying chemical fertilisers from the shops, you could switch to a natural option.
By doing this you will be saving money, and with the surge in energy prices, this will stop an extra cost and still allow your garden to bloom with vibrant colours.
Some alternatives are:
- Horse manure
- Compost
- Seaweed
5. Invest in a worm farm
A worm farm is like a compost bin, however it uses worms to break down the food into compost.
They can be purchased from around £50 and provide a great natural way to help you garden flourish.
By using a worm farm, you are using your food waste, which inevitably no food will ever be wasted as the products of the worm farm can be used back into your garden to help the plants grow.
Feature Image (Wendy Laffan- Kent Association of Beekeepers)