Pollinator Planting 🐝 🦋  

The Best Perennials for Bees, Butterflies & Wildlife 

Creating a pollinator-friendly garden isn’t just good for the environment—it’s also a great way to keep your garden buzzing with life and colour all year round. By choosing the right perennials, you can provide a continuous source of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Here’s a list of the best perennials to plant for pollinators. 🌿🐝🦋 

Why Plant for Pollinators? 

Pollinators are essential for biodiversity and food production. Bees, butterflies, and hoverflies help fertilize plants, ensuring fruit, vegetables, and flowers thrive. By planting the right perennials, you create a garden that is both beautiful and ecologically valuable. 

Top Perennials for Pollinators 

These plants provide long-lasting blooms, attracting and sustaining pollinators throughout the seasons. 

Spring Blooming Perennials 🌸 

🌿 Hellebores (Helleborus) – One of the earliest bloomers, providing food when little else is flowering. 
🌿 Pulmonaria (Lungwort) – Loved by early bees, with nectar-rich pink-to-blue flowers. 
🌿 Primroses (Primula vulgaris) – A vital food source for queen bumblebees emerging from hibernation. 
🌿 Aubrieta – A fantastic ground cover with small purple flowers loved by pollinators. 

Summer Blooming Perennials ☀️ 

🌿 Lavender (Lavandula) – A must-have for bees, with fragrant blooms throughout summer. 
🌿 Echinacea (Coneflower) – Large, vibrant flowers that attract butterflies and bees. 
🌿 Salvia (Salvia nemorosa) – Produces tall spikes of nectar-rich purple or blue flowers. 
🌿 Verbena bonariensis – Tall, airy blooms loved by bees and butterflies alike. 
🌿 Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) – A magnet for butterflies with its fragrant flower clusters. 

Autumn Blooming Perennials 🍂 

🌿 Sedum (Stonecrop) – Late-season flowers provide an important food source before winter. 
🌿 Aster (Michaelmas Daisy) – One of the best autumn perennials for attracting butterflies. 
🌿 Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan) – A bright, cheerful plant loved by bees. 
🌿 Helenium (Sneezeweed) – Provides a rich nectar source late in the season. 

Winter Interest Perennials ❄️ 

🌿 Mahonia – One of the few perennials to bloom in winter, providing essential food for bees. 
🌿 Winter Heather (Erica carnea) – Produces nectar when little else is in bloom. 
🌿 Hellebores – Offers a vital food source for pollinators emerging on mild winter days. 

How to Create a Pollinator-Friendly Garden 

🌱 Plant a variety of flowers that bloom at different times to ensure food availability year-round. 
🐝 Choose native plants whenever possible—they are best suited for local wildlife. 
🌼 Avoid pesticides—these can harm bees and butterflies. 
🏡 Include sheltered spots like log piles, hedgerows, or bee hotels for nesting pollinators. 
💦 Provide a water source—shallow dishes with pebbles help thirsty bees stay hydrated. 

Final Thoughts 

By planting these pollinator-friendly perennials, you’re not only supporting local wildlife but also creating a vibrant, healthy garden. Whether it’s spring blooms, summer fragrance, or late-season colour, these plants ensure a continuous feast for bees and butterflies. 🌿🐝🦋 

Which of these perennials will you be adding to your garden? Let me know! 🌸😊 

Want to know which trees would work great in your garden throughout the year? Check out our article on Thinking Tree 🌳