Plant pots for pollinating bees and butterflies

It's pretty easy to fill a pot and help our pollinators:
Butterfly Conservation - Plant Pots For Pollinators



Plant A Pot For Pollinators - YouTube
Butterfly Conservation - Titchmarsh - "Plant a pot for pollinators!"

The campaign is up an running again this year:

Welcome to June's ‘all aflutter’.                                                 Take part in our Plant Pots For Pollinators scheme this month and help butterflies, bees and other declining species. Discover why pollinators are important, download a planting guide and shopping list, plot your pot on the map and find out how pollinator-friendly your neighbourhood is. There are some great tips in our blog about butterfly-friendly gardening in a small space, on a tight budget. Check out the new Plant Pots inspired t-shirt and other summer additions in our clothing store and don't forget to bid in the second round of our moth auction, which began yesterday. Go Potty For Pollinators There are 1,500 pollinating species in the UK, including bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies, beetles, wasps, butterflies and moths. We know that more than 70% of our butterflies are declining in number, with species starting to disappear from some areas altogether. The problems faced by butterflies spell bad news for all pollinating insects and for people too.                 Changes in land use and management techniques have destroyed important wildlife habitat on farms, in woodlands and around our towns and cities. If we don't start looking after our pollinators and the places they inhabit, our lives will be affected too.                      An estimated 84% of EU crops and 80% of wildflowers rely on insect pollination. We can protect our environment and our future by supporting the insects that provide for us. Just one pot of nectar plants can supply the fuel a pollinating insect needs to stay airborne and at work. Join in with our Plant Pots For Pollinators scheme, sponsored by B&Q, this summer and help struggling species - even if you don't have a garden. Plant A Pot For Pollinators Dig It: Marvellous Marigolds It would be easy to underestimate the value of the marigold but these cheery orange and yellow blooms have many virtues.            The scent of French Marigolds (Tagetes) will deter some garden pests, which makes the plants a useful addition to the vegetable patch. The petals of Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) are edible - try adding them to stews, salads or stir fries. The flowers, when brewed into a tea or turned into a balm, can treat ailments from sunburn to gastritis.         Both marigolds provide nectar for butterflies and will happily grow in a plant pot, hanging basket or window box. Find out which other flowers we recommend for pots and create your own pollinator pit stop. Download The Guide Look Out For: Car Boot Sale Containers Planting a pot for pollinators can be done on a tight budget if you shop around for young plants and get creative with your container. Butterflies and bees won't mind if their food is served up in a washing up bowl or recycled bin and an unusual display on the doorstep will be a talking point for visitors too. Your plants will produce just as many flowers whether they are watered from a designer copper can or a home made milk bottle sprinkler. Read this month's blog to get some great tips on being pollinator-friendly without burning a hole in your pocket. Saving Butterflies On A Shoestring

Butterfly Conservation - News and blog
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