GARDENING APRIL 2024.qxp_Layout 1 18/03/2024 12:01 Page 1
The little things
Green Lacewing Butterfly
Elly West shares ways gardeners can encourage more insects to their patch, helping these tiny unsung heroes make a positive impact on plant life throughout the year
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lthough it may not always seem that way, insects are our best friends when it comes to the garden. Part of cultivating this slice of nature means embracing all that comes with it, including these tiny unsung heroes. I’m not asking the impossible – slugs and snails are always going to be a ‘no’ in my garden, as are greenfly, blackfly, and I don’t really like wasps either – but the majority of creatures, whether pollinators or predators, are there to do a job and maintain that all important balanced harmony. Insects play a vital role in the ecosystem, contributing to pollination, soil health, pest control and biodiversity, and turning gardens into thriving habitats. Ladybirds, lacewings and ground beetles feed on garden pests such as aphids and slugs; bees and butterflies are essential for pollination; while worms, beetles and certain types of flies break down organic matter and return nutrients to the soil.
No Mow May With the coming warmer weather, insects are more active, and it’s a good time to think about how to encourage the most beneficial ones into our gardens. Why not take part in ‘No Mow May’ next month and leave your lawn to grow? This national campaign sees gardeners, as well as managers of public green spaces, stop mowing for the month. The longer grass and wildflowers that pop up will provide food and shelter for an army of insect life, from ants and grasshoppers to beetles, bugs, hoverflies, butterflies and bees. And it doesn’t just have to be for May! You might then decide to leave some areas of your garden as meadow, scattering extra wildflower seeds and popping in some spring bulbs, such as fritillaries, to give it a boost. Over the past century, Britain has lost nearly all of its natural meadows, so anything we can do to help redress the balance is a good 88 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | APRIL 2024 | No 233
thing, whether it’s an entire area of meadow or just a small strip of wildflowers edging the lawn. We can also choose plants in the borders that will attract a wide variety of insects through the year. Select flowering plants with different shapes, sizes and flowering times, and incorporate native species where possible. Start to notice which plants in your garden attract bees and butterflies, and even at the garden centre on a sunny day, you can often see that nature is drawn to some plants over others. Buddleia is the classic magnet, earning itself the common name of ‘butterfly bush’, but also salvia, achillea, lavender, nepeta, foxgloves, heleniums, scabious and alyssum will all bring a flutter and a buzz of activity to your garden. For more ideas, the RHS website has useful lists of ‘plants for pollinators’ available to download, at rhs.org.uk. Ladybirds are among my favourite six-legged finds in the garden, not least because they have an appetite for aphids. There are more than 40 species of ladybirds in Britain, many of which are predators on aphids and other insects. They are promiscuous breeders and both the larvae and adult bugs will help to control pest populations. It’s around now that the adult overwintering bugs emerge as the weather warms up, and will be laying their eggs near food sources.
Pesky pests If you’re growing vegetables, then it can sometimes be harder to embrace nature and the temptation is to reach for the sprays. However, spraying will kill beneficial insects as well as the annoying ones. Instead, companion planting can help in the battle between friend and foe, providing alternative food sources for your pests, which will hopefully then leave your crops nibble-free. Nasturtiums will deter aphids from your bean plants, while marigolds will help to draw away the whitefly when grown alongside tomatoes. Strongly scented alliums will help