How to Make Your Garden Pollinator-Friendly This Spring!

As we step into spring, gardens come alive with new growth, longer days, and the hum of pollinators at work. Bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and even some beetles play a crucial role in pollination, helping plants produce fruit, seeds, and flowers. But with habitat loss and climate change threatening these essential creatures, it’s more important than ever to create a space that supports them.

A pollinator-friendly garden isn’t just about planting flowers—it also requires the right infrastructure to provide food, shelter, and nesting spots. Whether you have a sprawling lawn or a small courtyard, there are plenty of ways to make your garden a haven for pollinators.

A honeybee gathers nectar and pollen from a bright yellow flower, playing a vital role in plant pollination and biodiversity.

RHS Plant Guide for Pollinators

1. Choose the Right Plants for Pollinators

Spring is the perfect time to start planting pollinator-friendly flowers. The key is to select plants that provide nectar and pollen throughout the seasons, ensuring pollinators have a food source year-round.

Best Plants for a Pollinator-Friendly Garden

• Early Bloomers: Crocuses, snowdrops, and hellebores help early-emerging bees and butterflies.
• Spring & Summer Favourites: Lavender, foxglove, and alliums attract a variety of bees and butterflies.
• Late Bloomers: Sedum, ivy, and asters provide a vital food source before winter.
• Native Wildflowers: Plants like knapweed, scabious, and red clover are particularly beneficial, as they have evolved alongside local pollinators.

Tip: Avoid double-petaled flowers—these may look impressive but often produce little nectar or pollen.

2. Incorporate Wildlife-Friendly Infrastructure

While flowers are essential, a truly pollinator-friendly garden needs more than just plants. Thoughtful garden infrastructure can provide safe habitats, water sources, and resting spots for pollinators.

Install Bee Hotels and Nesting Areas

Solitary bees, such as Mason and Leafcutter bees, don’t live in hives but nest in small holes. Providing a bee hotel can encourage these crucial pollinators to make a home in your garden.

How to Set Up a Bee Hotel:

• Choose a sunny, sheltered location.
• Use untreated wood with drilled holes or hollow stems to create nesting spaces.
• Position it at least a metre off the ground to protect from predators.

Use Edging & Borders

Garden structures like flower beds, paths, and driveways should be wildlife-friendly too. Traditional plastic or concrete edging isn’t always a lasting or environmentally friendly option, while  alternatives like CORE EDGE steel edging create defined spaces and are far less disruptive to natural habitats.

Create Shelter & Resting Spots

• Log piles and rockeries provide shelter for beetles and butterflies.
• Hedgerows and shrubs create safe nesting spots for pollinators.
• Unmown patches of grass offer refuge for insects like bumblebees.

3. Provide a Clean, Shallow Water Source

Pollinators need water, especially during warm spring and summer days. A small pond or shallow water dish can make a big difference.

How to Create a Pollinator Water Station:

• Use a shallow dish or a birdbath with stones inside for safe perching.
• Keep the water clean and topped up during dry spells.
• Add aquatic plants like water forget-me-nots to help insects land safely.

4. Ditch the Pesticides & Go Organic

Chemical pesticides and herbicides can be devastating to pollinators, killing them directly or contaminating their food sources. Instead, opt for organic gardening methods:

Natural Pest Control Alternatives:

• Encourage natural predators like ladybirds to keep aphid populations down.
• Use companion planting (e.g., marigolds to deter pests from vegetables).
• Remove pests by hand where possible instead of spraying.

5. Create a Wildflower Meadow or Pollinator Patch

Even a small patch of wildflowers can have a massive impact. Let a section of your lawn grow wild or plant a dedicated pollinator patch with nectar-rich flowers.

🌼 How to Start a Wildflower Patch:

1. Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil.
2. Remove existing grass and weeds before sowing.
3. Mix native wildflower seeds with sand for even distribution.
4. Water lightly and allow nature to take over!

To make pathways through your wildflower area without damaging plants, consider using CORE PATH stabilisers, which create firm, eco-friendly walkways while allowing flowers to thrive.

A vibrant spring garden filled with nectar-rich flowers provides essential food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Planting a variety of species ensures year-round support for wildlife.

6. Grow Climbers & Vertical Planting for Extra Habitat

If space is limited, make use of vertical areas with climbing plants like honeysuckle, jasmine, and clematis. These provide food and shelter for pollinators while adding greenery to walls and fences.

Use Screens for Climbing Plants

Adding garden screens not only enhances your space but also creates extra surfaces for pollinator-friendly plants. The Ideal Garden’s decorative metal screens are perfect for supporting climbers while blending seamlessly into a natural setting. They offer a sturdy, sustainable alternative to plastic or treated wood trellises, allowing plants to thrive and providing shelter for insects.

How to Use Screens for Pollinators:

• Position them in a sunny spot to encourage plant growth.
• Grow nectar-rich climbers like passionflower or ivy for year-round benefits.
• Combine with wildflower borders to maximise habitat diversity.

By using The Ideal Garden’s garden screens, you can create vertical habitats that attract pollinators while adding structure and greenery to your outdoor space.

7. Plan for Year-Round Support

Pollinators don’t just need help in spring and summer—providing food and shelter year-round ensures their survival through autumn and winter.

Autumn & Winter Garden Ideas:

• Leave seed heads on plants like sunflowers for birds and insects.
• Grow winter-flowering shrubs like mahonia and viburnum.
• Provide leaf piles or untidy corners for hibernating insects.

Final Thoughts

Spring is the perfect time to create a pollinator-friendly garden, ensuring bees, butterflies, and other vital creatures have access to food, water, and safe habitats. By planting nectar-rich flowers, using sustainable garden materials like CORE EDGE, and avoiding pesticides, you can turn your outdoor space into a thriving ecosystem.

A small effort goes a long way—so whether you’re adding a bee hotel, letting part of your lawn grow wild, or simply swapping pesticides for organic alternatives, every step helps protect the future of our pollinators.

Ready to create a sustainable, pollinator-friendly garden? Check out The Ideal Garden’s range of eco-friendly products to help you get started.