For the butterflies and the bees

Planting and maintenance:

Find places for these plants - either together in a group, or dotted about in your garden -  which are generally sunny and well-drained. Make sure plants are well watered before planting, loosen the roots slightly after taking them out of the pot, and ensure they are kept watered while they establish. None of these plants require excessive fertility, but they will need to be kept relatively free from weeds - particularly grass, which can engulf them. Allow them to 'do their thing' for the summer months and on into the autumn. Another way of increasing your garden's insect population is by not cutting back the dead and dying foliage at the end of the year, and letting it stay through until spring, when you cut it down and generally tidy-up the plants.The Buddleia can also be cut down to within  a few inches of ground level (this encourages a good dense plant), but the Euphorbia mellifera should not be cut back. This plant should be allowed to grow to its natural shape and size (a rounded shrub of up to 2 m). The Echium (which can attract an astonishing amount of bees) can take up to two years to bloom, and once it has bloomed normally dies. However, it is generous with its seeds, and you will have many new plants in subsequent years - keep a look out for them around the garden and when weeding. Echiums should not be pruned in any way, and allow their seeds to fall before removing the dead stalk.

 

Plants in this scheme:

Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' x 3	Sedum 'Autumn Joy' x 3
Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight' x 1	Echium pinaniana x 2
Foeniculum vulgare x 3	Centranthus ruber x 3
Euphorbia mellifera x 1	Echinops ritro x 3
Knautia arvensis x 3	Monarda 'Cambridge Scarlet' x 3

View all plants in listing....