Whilst in Lichfield market today, I took a quick look at the plant stall, as I usually do! Over the last month or so I have been on the look out for nectar-rich insect attracting plants for the garden. I have found the best way to choose is to forget about which ones YOU think will look nice or work well in the garden… but rather let the insects tell you what to buy!
I have even heard people asking for plants that would be good for attracting bees and the answer was right in front of them…. some plants are covered in insects… others have none… there’s your answer!
One plant today caught my eye as it was covered in hoverflies….. I had to have one… in fact two! This plant is Coreopsis Zagreb and is covered in yellow daisy-like flowers that seem to be a magnet for insects! It is a perennial, so I should be seeing it again next year hopefully. I will dead-head it regularly and see how it fares. The gatekeepers loved it as well!
As soon as I put them in the garden, the insects started appearing and within just a few minutes it was covered in hoverflies… brill for photography!
The little patch of nectar rich plants looks a strange medley as it has been chosen by insects rather than me… but it was certainly working well today in the sunshine and attracting a range of butterflies, flies and bees… all happy to pose for my camera!
Here are a couple of my shots and the others can be seen on my Flickr set HERE
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