Here are the BBKA’s five easy steps everyone can take to help pollinators:

• Plant more flowers, trees and shrubs
• Let your garden grow a little wild
• Cut your grass less often
• Avoid disturbing insect nests and hibernation spots
• Think carefully before using pesticides

Planting for year‑round forage
Gardening brings enormous pleasure, but it also provides vital food sources for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Whatever your style of gardening, you can create a rich, season‑long buffet with a little planning.

• Early season: Snowdrops, grape hyacinth and crocus
• Summer: Allium, salvia, cotoneaster, verbena, rudbeckia and cosmos
• Late season: Sedum and ivy
• Winter: Heather, mahonia and hellebores

The BBKA recommends choosing single, open flowers, which allow pollinators easy access to nectar and pollen. Planting in clusters makes flowers easier for insects to locate and also helps suppress weeds. Regular deadheading, good watering (rainwater from a water butt is ideal), and light pruning will keep plants healthy and productive.

Trees, shrubs and herbs
Trees and shrubs that flower at different times of year provide essential forage, especially when little else is in bloom. A mature tree is a rich food source for pollinators and can support hundreds of insect species. Mixed hedges also offer nectar, pollen and an excellent habitat for birds, mammals and insects.

Letting lawns breathe
Leaving part of your lawn to grow longer allows wildflowers and ‘weeds’ to flourish. Dandelions, for example, are a crucial early‑season pollen source. White and red clover are also firm favourites with bees. Creating a small mini‑meadow is one of the easiest ways to support a wide range of pollinators.

Avoiding pesticides
The BBKA encourages gardeners to avoid pesticides wherever possible. Natural fertilisers and biological controls — such as encouraging ladybirds to tackle aphids — help maintain a healthy ecosystem without harming beneficial insects.

Providing shelter
Don’t tidy away all fallen leaves or garden debris, especially in autumn. These create valuable overwintering sites for insects. Take care not to disturb nests or hibernation spots when tidying up.

Water for wildlife
Pollinators need water, too. A shallow dish filled with stones or pebbles gives bees a safe place to drink without the risk of drowning. Keep it topped up during dry spells.

For more information visit: https://www.bbka.org.uk/Pages/Category/planting-for-pollinators