{"id":41,"date":"2021-09-23T11:51:31","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T09:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=99449"},"modified":"2021-10-13T13:31:22","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T11:31:22","slug":"plant-britain-spring-bulbs-to-plant-now-for-bees-and-butterflies","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/plant-britain-spring-bulbs-to-plant-now-for-bees-and-butterflies\/","title":{"rendered":"Plant Britain: Spring bulbs to plant now for bees and butterflies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Dave Goulson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 23 September 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Spring may seem far away from autumn, but for the best chance of bringing pollinating insects into your garden, plant bulbs between September and November. Gardens can be a haven for pollinating insects, and could play an important role in halting and reversing insect declines if enough of us were to make our green spaces insect-friendly.<\/p>\n

Butterfly numbers<\/a> have declined by about 50% since 1976, and 13 species of bee have gone extinct. There are 22 million private gardens in the UK, covering an area of nearly half a million hectares. Just imagine what we could achieve if most of these gardens were alive with the buzzing of bees, the hum of hoverflies, and the flutter of butterflies.<\/p>\n

Of course, it helps to avoid using pesticides, put up a \u2018bee hotel\u2019 or two, and fill your garden with nectar- and pollen-rich flowers from spring to autumn.<\/p>\n

Why plant spring bulbs in autumn?<\/h2>\n

Autumn is the perfect time to plant bulbs for next year. Just as our insect life settles down for the long sleep, bulbs will be slowly starting to send out roots as early as November, gently readying themselves for the big push of spring. Late winter and spring-flowering bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, grape hyacinth and bluebells are best planted in early autumn, so that they can get established. <\/span><\/p>\n

How to plant bulbs<\/h2>\n

Plant bulbs as soon after purchase as possible. Most look best in clusters. Dig a hole wider than the bulb, and about three times deeper (bulb-planting tools make light work of this), and make sure to put the bulb in shoot uppermost. Loosely backfill with soil, but don\u2019t squash it down. For autumn planting, watering is not necessary.<\/p>\n

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Planting bulbs now for spring helps the plants establish before the cold weather sets in. \/Credit: AKAY\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In general, native plants tend to be better for pollinators than exotics, since they have co-evolved together for millennia. Below are a few of the best bulbs and corms to grow to provide food for pollinators and glorious colour in your garden, arranged by flowering time.<\/p>\n

The best bulbs to plant now for pollinating insects<\/h2>\n
1<\/span>

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis<\/em>)<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Clumps\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops make a tasty snack for honeybees in the warmer days of winter. \/Credit: Jackie Bale\/Getty Images.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Snowdrops are the first flower of the year in most gardens \u2013 the delicate white and green flowers usually appear in late January. This is too early for most pollinators, but on warm winter days honeybees become active and head to the snowdrops for a welcome winter snack.<\/p>\n

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2<\/span>

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Close\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis<\/em>). \/Credit: ROMAOSLO\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Winter aconite produces cheerful golden flowers in the depths of winter. These are a valuable nectar source for the first butterflies to emerge from hibernation, such as peacocks, and also for the first bumblebee queens.<\/p>\n

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More related content:<\/p>\n

How to care for your garden over winter<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn how to support birds, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers and other garden visitors this winter with these top tips from Secret World Wildlife Rescue.<\/p>\n

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\""Robin\"<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section><\/p>
3<\/span>

Crocus (<\/span>Crocus vernus<\/em>)<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Crocus\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Crocus bulbs and flowers. \/Credit: Clive Nichols\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Crocuses are a very familiar garden flower, perfect for naturalising in lawns and orchards, or planting near the front of flower borders. They provide welcome colour in late February and March and are an important food source for hungry queen bumblebees when they first emerge from hibernation after being asleep since the previous summer.<\/p>\n

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