Does
the term ‘bedding plants’ conjure up for you images of an
orderly, formal garden with rows of bright red Salvia, blue
Lobelia and white Alyssum in sterile ranks, marching up and
down the borders? As someone who is occasionally asked to
judge garden competitions, this is a look I find very hard to
warm to, although I try to tell myself that any plant in a
garden is better than bare soil. However, bedding can be
used in more subtle ways than this, and of course can add
tremendously to the visual effect in the garden in the summer
months. If chosen carefully and planted sympathetically in
blocks of colour rather than in the old-fashioned style of
rows of plants, bedding can even be wildlife friendly and
bring butterflies and bumblebees to your borders and moths to
your hanging baskets.
These undoubtedly
useful plants can create a wonderful impact if planted en
masse in borders and containers. But problems of availability
of wildlife-friendly bedding arise if you would prefer not to
grow your own from seed. The average garden centre or plant
nursery has very few plants with wildlife value, although the
situation is slowly changing and there are a few standard
plants that will provide nectar and pollen as long as the
correct varieties and colours are chosen.
If you
are not growing your own from seed, you could try pale
Petunias for some moth species and Verbena for bees and
butterflies if
they are planted in bold blocks to give large areas of
colour. Choose single colours rather than mixed boxes – these
will attract the notice of passing insects in just the same
way as hardy perennials do. Paler shades seem to be of more
interest to butterflies than darker ones although there are
always exceptions, and of course avoid double flowers. Of the
Petunias, pale blue or white are best. These colours are also the most
heavily scented which is an added bonus. Hanging baskets with blue
trailing Petunias may occasionally encourage the wonderful
hummingbird hawkmoth, which darts and hovers while taking
nectar with its long curled tongue. In addition to Petunia,
two other readily available plants are worth trying. Arabis
in its white flowered forms will provide both nectar and
pollen for bees and Alyssum Royal Carpet has nectar for
butterflies.
If
brighter colours are to your taste, there are several of the
French marigolds that bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies
will visit, so they are well worth growing if you like them.
The varieties Legion of Honour, Spanish Brocade and the
‘Marietta’ types have both nectar and pollen that attracts all
sorts of insects, including the day-flying silver Y moth, so
called because of the silvery-white Y shaped mark on its
wings. These plants are particularly good for hoverflies,
always worth having around in the garden to devour your
aphids. Tagetes amongst the vegetables can have a very
positive effect on natural pest control.
Where
honey bees and bumblebees are concerned, there are a few
bedding plants that are particularly useful. Snapdragons or
Antirrhinum have pollen, and the single-flowered varieties in
particular attract bumblebees. Busy Lizzie or Impatiens has
both nectar and pollen for bees, and some species of moths are
able to get their long tongues down to the nectar also.
The
plants above are varieties that are usually planted in blocks
or rows, or are used in containers, hanging baskets or window
boxes. Garden centres now often have a wide range of plants
in single pots rather than the traditional boxes, for summer
planting. These can cover a wide range of colours and types
and some are especially good for wildlife and well worth
trying. Most of these are tender perennials, grown as summer
bedding.
Perhaps
the most useful is the butterfly weed, Asclepias. This plant
is grown widely in ‘butterfly farms’ where exotic tropical
butterfly species are shown to the public. It is also useful
for our own native butterfly species and can be grown in
containers or planted into spaces in flagging summer borders
for an interesting splash of colour. The same is true of
Heliotrope or cherry pie, a plant with a rich scent that
attracts bees as well as butterflies. This tender perennial
is often used in summer bedding schemes to great effect as its
dark purple flowers bloom until the first frosts. Also look
out for the annual Lavatera, especially the varieties Silver
Cup with pink flowers and Mont Blanc which is white. These
plants are quite tall and can fill gaps in borders where early
bloomers or bulbs have finished.
Dahlias
tend to be plants that cause a degree of fanaticism amongst
their devotees and I have to confess to liking their blowsy
blooms. The majority though are pretty useless as nectar and
pollen providers, but several of the so-called bedding dahlias
(many of which are relatively easy to grow from seed) do have
an open flower structure that reveals the pollen. This makes
them magnets for hoverflies and bumblebees, so if they are to
your taste, they can be included in borders or planted in
containers. I generally grow the variety Redskin which has
mostly single flowers on shiny bronzy-green foliage. These
look good mixed with purple flowered plants such as the
heliotrope or purple Verbena (especially the excellent Verbena bonariensis)
for an exotic yet wildlife friendly patch. If you prefer your
Dahlias in paler colours the variety Coltness Hybrids come in
a range of shades including pale pink. These are attractive to
many species of bee, hoverfly and pollen beetle.
One
excellent group of plants has yet to be mentioned. If your
garden centre can offer nothing much in the way of the
wildlife friendly bedding already mentioned, they will
doubtless have Nicotiana. The tobacco plant in all its varied
colours is heavily scented at night, luring moths from miles
around. If you are really lucky, the massive convolvulus hawk
moth may visit you in late summer especially if the weather
has been particularly warm.
If all
else fails and you find you have left things too late to get
your own seeds started in the greenhouse, you can always
resort to the tried and tested hardy annuals which can be sown
directly into bare patches. Plants such as Calendula, Cosmos,
Phacelia, cornflower and Nasturtium can make a huge impact on
the summer colour in your garden as well as the providing
nectar and pollen for visiting insects. Calendula and
Phacelia are brilliant for bees, and Nasturtiums attract
bumblebees as well as provide the
ubiquitous ‘cabbage white’ butterflies somewhere to lay their
eggs rather than using your Brassicas. Lastly cornflowers,
both wild and cultivated, will attract bees and butterflies
and also provide seed for a charm of goldfinches – even more
colour and interest in your summer borders or containers. |
