LITTLE GREEN SPACE ~ BY PENNY BUNTING

To help bumblebees, butterflies and other pollinators thrive in our gardens and community green spaces, it's important to try to provide a continuous source of nectar and pollen throughout the year.

In spring and summer, when many flowers are in bloom, this is easy. But providing nectar-rich blooms through autumn and winter is more challenging, and takes a bit of planning.

Growing plants that flower in autumn provides late-season nectar for insects – and can help hibernating bumblebees and butterflies by offering an energy boost to get them through the colder months ahead.

For completely free butterfly – and bee – friendly blooms, allow native plants to grow in a wild corner – this can be as easy as leaving a small area of garden undisturbed. For example, teasels flower until early September, and dandelions can still be flowering as late as October. Both these plants also provide seeds for birds like goldfinches.

Red campion, harebells, dead nettles and hemp-agrimony are other wild plants that may flower into autumn, and will benefit wildlife.

If you prefer to create a more formal autumn garden by growing nectar-rich plants in a flower border or containers, try these six suggestions.

Sedum spectabile

Also known as border sedum, butterfly stonecrop, rabbit's cabbage or ice plant, Sedum spectabile (recently reclassified as Hylotelephium) produces masses of nectar-rich flowers in early autumn.

These perennial plants are easy to grow, and are drought tolerant – an important consideration as our climate changes and extreme weather events like heatwaves become more common. After flowering, the dry seedheads look wonderful dusted in frost, and provide a safe haven for hibernating insects.

If you only have room for one sedum, 'Autumn Joy' (also known 'Herbstfreude') is the one to go for. It's a magnet for bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Plant in a sunny spot at the front of the flower border.

Michaelmas daisy

These delicate pink and purple asters are named after the Christian feast day of St Michael, or All Angels, which is celebrated on 29 September. It was a custom to give Michaelmas daisies on this day, as a symbol of colour and light in the shortening days as winter approached.

Michaelmas daisies often continue to bloom throughout October – so they are an ideal addition to an autumn nectar garden. Butterflies such as red admirals love them, and the open flowers also attract bumblebees and solitary bees. There are lots of cultivars available – be sure to choose one with simple, single flowers as these are easier for pollinators to access (the frilly, double-flowered types are less attractive to insects).

Rudbeckia

The bright, daisy-like flowers of rudbeckia bloom from August to October, creating a blaze of colour in the autumn garden. Also known as black-eyed Susan or coneflower (not to be confused with echinacea, which are also called coneflowers), rudbeckias are available as perennial or annual plants. Annuals are easy to grow from seed sown in spring, so are a good choice if you're on a budget.

Rudbeckias come in a range of vibrant yellow and orange shades, and will attract hoverflies and other insects – as always, choose single-flowered types for the best wildlife benefits.

Ivy

Ivy is a particularly useful plant for all sorts of wildlife – according to the Woodland Trust, this evergreen can support as many as 50 different species. For insects, ivy produces nectar-rich flowers just as many other flowers are dying off – and continues blooming right through November.

After the flowers have faded, berries appear – and these are enjoyed by blackbirds, thrushes and other birds. Over-wintering butterflies, as well as birds, bats and small mammals, may shelter in the deep, protective foliage. Ivy is also a caterpillar food plant for many moth and butterfly species.

For all these reasons, avoid cutting ivy back in autumn. The belief that ivy can strangle and kill trees is unfounded – it grows up trees and walls, but is not a parasitic plant, and will not harm trees.

If buying ivy in the UK, look out for our native varieties Hedera helix (common ivy), or Hedera hibernica (Atlantic ivy). Boston ivy – often planted to scramble up the front of buildings – is a completely different plant that originates from North America.

French marigold

In vivid shades of yellow, orange and red, French marigolds (Tagetes patula) add a splash of colour to flower borders and patio pots. They're also fantastic dotted throughout the vegetable garden. The blooms attract pollinating insects, and allegedly repel whitefly – so are an ideal companion plant for tomatoes and other crops.

French marigolds are annuals that are easily grown from seed, making them a budget-friendly option. Sow seeds in spring, in pots or trays on a sunny windowsill, and transfer to the garden in late May after all risk of frost has passed.

You can also buy French marigolds as plug plants in garden centres – another affordable option. They have a long flowering period, from the end of June until the end of October.

Sunflower

With their huge stature and dinner-plate-sized flowers, sunflowers are wonderful plants to grow. The bright yellow petals attract bees, bumblebees, butterflies and hoverflies, with the blooms offering nectar from June until the end of October, depending on the variety. After flowering, sunflower seeds are collected by birds, especially goldfinches.

Sunflowers may have other benefits for some insects, beyond providing food. Research has suggested that the pollen of sunflowers – and possibly other plants in the sunflower family, such as dandelions – may combat diseases in bees and bumblebees.

Sunflowers were introduced to the UK from North America in the 1500s. They're easy to grow from seed – and this is a great activity for kids, who can compete to grow the tallest flower. Despite their height, sunflowers don't need masses of space – given support and a sunny position, they are happy growing in a pot on a patio or balcony.

There are lots of different varieties to choose from: try Helianthus annus (common sunflower), a compact variety that is recommended by the RHS for supporting pollinators. Or, for gigantic competition-winning plants, try 'Russian Giant'. You can also grow dwarf sunflowers – for example 'Big Smile', which only reaches around 50cm in height – which are ideal for pots and planters.

Penny Bunting

www.littlegreenspace.org.uk

Bluesky @lgspace.bsky.social