Firm favourites

As someone who invited a hummingbird moth into their garden. I started to appreciate plants are highly effective at encouraging insects again. A scented garden will not only please your nose buds but will provide essential food for those with purpose. Hoverflies, butterflies, lacewings and bees are important visitors.

True, Lavendula (lavender) and Buddleia (butterfly bush) are firm favourites but many more unexpected flowers serve this same purpose. Jasmine and Honeysuckle will encourage Butterflies. Cosmos and Dill will attract Lacewings. Even providing some shade will protect the beetles with a positive purpose. Those that devour snails and slugs.

Lavetera (mallow) is a perfect example. This can be in the form of a shrub. (Tree mallow, but not really a tree.) L. maritima, an evergreen shrub provides colour for a prolonged period running from spring to autumn. This sun-loving specimen can tolerate drought or exposed areas laden with salt. It can also accept a bit of a chill but not over-saturation, it often rots from the roots. What makes it confusing is that mallow can also come in the form of a perennial (Malva). It flowers once but will self-seed so its growth is prolific. A drought-tolerant choice that will go well with Hollyhocks or other summer flowering plants. Both blooms are pink.

Salvia (sage) is another great choice where you benefit from summer blooms, a variety of both self-seeding perennials and free-standing shrubs. Salvia comes in red, pink, and blue. Your Salvia buchananii, a frost-tender pink perennial to your Salvia pratensis, a purple variety which looks very delicate but is hardy. ‘Blood sage’ or ‘red sage’ offers a scarlet red contribution although this is a perennial and will need to be cut back each year. The soil will also need to be free draining so avoid excessive moisture. It tolerates some shade but still expects a minimum of sun.

The term shrub is broad in its definition. S. officinalis is a sub shrub, highly aromatic and provides blue flowers in summer. It likes full sun and needs some shelter but has the capacity to become quite large - in the right environment. Avoid it getting too wet. It doesn't like frost either.

Perennials like S. pratensis can invite dragonflies too as does Coneflower and Black-eyed Susan. Coneflower, as known as Echinacea purpurea, has medicinal properties but in addition, can discourage snails. They are a useful asset since they cope well with dry conditions too (not indefinitely though) and in mild climates retain their flowering into winter.

Thubergia alata, (rudbeckia) is a climbing perennial that attracts birds and butterflies. The flowering period is late summer to autumn so after other plants are spent it offers more. It needs sun but is simple to grow, the soil needs substance too but still drains well. Not tolerant of wet conditions. It climbs so will need some support.

Digitalis, (foxglove) A sunny aspect is recommended in a mixed herbaceous border. They provide a trumpet of colour throughout summer. These come back every year and so do the bees. Digitalis parviflora – a red variety. And a two-tone – Digitalis purpurea (primrose carousel) has a yellow with a red speckled appearance.

Antirrhinum, (snapdragon) are only annuals but are highly fragrant. In a sunny aspect, they provide a mass of colour (red, pink, orange and yellow) in early summer.

Forget-me-nots are a favourite for small and large areas. From a pot to a wave. Very eye-catching and comes back every season. These can be naturalised in the grass or container bound. A spring contribution to consider since they tolerate shade or sun. Divide to multiply. These are susceptible to powdery mildew in a humid environment as some of the others are but at least the bees don’t mind.

There have been declining numbers of beneficial insects in recent years. Biodiversity, ingredients in weedkillers being discontinued and the use discouraged have protected certain species to thrive again.