Ornamental plants: pollinator-friendly, companion planting and pinky-blue
When you’re planning a garden, it’s important to choose flowers for pollinators to create a successful ecosystem with helpful predators to control pests.
Don’t forget companion planting, which saves your fruit and veg from infestation (such as Calendula and sunflowers). Wildflower derivatives such as golden and purple cow parsley mix with flowering carrot as a lacy contrast to my Chinese rice paper plant. They also attract a range of beneficial insects. Read my review of The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants. On a similar note, visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales’ Saving Pollinator Assurance Scheme post.
Flowers for pollinators – Foxgloves and perfume
The white foxgloves sit in the light shade beside the hedge (all the self-seeders are the native pink variety), also loved by pollinators. I only have a couple of sunny areas in beds for annuals, but I’ve chosen mainly pink and blue shades (Antirrhinum, Gomphrena, Helichrysum and sweet peas).
I love perfume, where the sweet peas come in. Plants on trial are clearly marked. This is the plan…
Plants from seed
- Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing: (purple cow parsley, 60-90cm), Plant World Seeds
- Anthriscus sylvestris Golden Fleece: (golden cow parsley, 70-90cm), Plant World Seeds
- Antirrhinum Chantilly Series, Chantilly Bronze: (bronze/pink, 140cm), Chiltern Seeds TRIAL
- Calendula Fiesta Gitana (Gipsy Festival): 30cm, Dobies
- Flowering carrot: (Dara, Queen Anne’s Lace, changing from white to pink to burgundy), from Suttons Predator range to attract helpful insects that eat pests TRIAL
- Foxglove Alba: (the white form of Digitalis purpurea, 1.2m), Johnsons TRIAL
- Gomphrena Rose: (globe amaranth, 60cm), Chiltern Seeds TRIAL
- Helichrysum bracteatum Silvery Rose: (paper daisy, 90cm), Chiltern Seeds TRIAL
- Sweet pea Pink Champagne: (pink/cream, 240cm), Chiltern Seeds TRIAL
- Sweet pea Blue Shift: (blue, 2m), Chiltern Seeds TRIAL
- Sunflower China Cat Mix: (lemon yellow/orange, 1.8m, repeat flowering), The Real Seed Catalogue
