A few weeks ago, I created a raised bed area in the garden. Although I do plan on growing some vegetables here, I really wanted a focused area to try out some different types of insect planting. I decided to plant the three larger beds up with colour-themed plants, along with some seeding too. I thought it might be interesting to see if beds of different colours seemed to attract different insects. Not a very fair test, I know, but I thought it might give an indication and also look good!
I have chosen a mixture of plants, many of which have been bought cheaply from my local market. They are species that are rich in nectar and are known for their popularity with butterflies and bees.
The first bed is planted with some cornflowers and forget-me-nots in blues and purples. The second bed is yellows , with Rudbeckia and a selection of Leucanthemums (daisy-like flowers of the ox-eye daisy family) and then I also seeded this with the ‘poached egg’ flower. The third bed is pinks and purples, with some Knautia, Nepeta, Aster and Salvia.
Finally, I seeded the 2 small beds… one with Seed Balls (Urban meadow)
and one with some of the ‘Westland Nature’s Haven seed mix.
Finally, I wanted to seed part of the bank that I had laid some of the wild flower turf on. I had some space above and a little below, before I see a ‘normal’ lawn in the bare patches in the middle. I divided the bank up and have seeded with Westland Nature’s Haven seed mix, A selection of Seed Balls, Herbiseed Nectar and Pollen Mix and then the rest with some seeds I have collected…
I am hoping that whichever species are successful at growing there, will then flower and seed along the bank. We’ll wait and see what happens!!