Check Here Before Buying – Pot Size Matters...Not all websites offer the same. Plants in a 2-litre pot have twice the root system of a P9 or 1 litre pot.

Check Here Before Buying – Pot Size Matters...Not all websites offer the same. Plants in a 2 litre pot have twice the root system of a P9 or 1 litre pot.

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Attracting Butterflies and Bees

Bees are in decline. Nearly 50 types of our wild bumble and solitary bees are listed as threatened, some bee species have been lost already and according to the British Beekeepers’ Association, last winter was the worst on record for the loss of honeybee colonies, with more than one-third not surviving hibernation. It’s widely recognised that changes in agriculture are the main cause of bee decline across Europe. For example, species-rich hay meadows have declined by 97% since the 1930s, removing an important source of forage for bees. Between 1984 and 2008 we lost 130 local wildlife sites in Derbyshire alone. Lack of proper monitoring of wild bees, lack of advice and guidance to farmers, government agencies and local authorities on bees, the use of certain chemical pesticides, and the limited success of initiatives have also contributed to the decline of our bee population.

Scientists estimate that it would add at least £1.8 billion GBP a year to the cost of food production in order to replace bee pollination services with hand pollination. Bees also pollinate clovers and other plants that are central to pasture systems for livestock grazing. They are not only of value to our food chain and economy, they also pollinate a wide variety of our most precious flowers, keeping our planet looking beautiful.

Here at Jacksons Nurseries not only do we understand the importance of bees to our ecosystem, we also actively encourage them to thrive on our nursery and in your gardens too. If you too are worried about the dramatic decline in our bees, why not encourage them back into your gardens with our selected 'bee and butterfly friendly' plants below.

Shrubs

Choisya x dewitteana 'White Dazzler'

Buddleja davidii 'Royal Red'

Hebe 'Champagne'

Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead'

Mahonia aquifolium 'Apollo'

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue'

Pieris 'Flaming Silver'

Perovskia 'Blue Spire'

Perennials

Astrantia major 'Claret'

Aster novi-belgii 'Jenny'