Pollinating insects are in decline, but there are plenty of flowering plants to help them. Increasing flowering plants in our gardens can also improve fruit and vegetables: with more pollinating insects around, harvests will be bigger and better.

The Ajuga provides some ground cover and will help prevent erosion of bare soil. Ground cover plants can also help to reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface and suppress weed growth. 

Until the plants have filled out, an organic mulch, preferably homemade compost, can help to improve soil moisture retention and weed suppression. Mulches should be spread when the soil is already moist to help trap some of that moisture before it dries out in summer. 

1 - Olearia macrodonta

2 -  Jasminum officinale f. affine

3 - Salvia rosmarinus ‘Severn Sea’

4 - Veronica ‘Midsummer Beauty’

5 - Eryngium giganteum

6 - Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’

2 - Jasminum officinale f. affine is a scented flowering climber needing support on a trellis or frame. It has a hint of pink in the bud and white fragrant flowers.

3 - Salvia rosmarinus ‘Severn Sea’ provides aromatic dark green leaves and small, two-lipped light blue flowers through late spring and summer.

4 - Veronica ‘Midsummer Beauty’ is a rounded evergreen shrub, with long, narrow leaves tinged purple when young. Lilac-mauve flowers, fading to white, are borne in summer and autumn.

5 - Eryngium giganteum has silvery, heart-shaped lower leaves and spiny leaves up the stems. Cone-like heads of silver-blue flowers sit within rosettes of spiny silvery-grey bracts. The faded flower heads provide autumn and winter interest. 

6 - Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant' is a low-growing semi-evergreen perennial forming a mat of large, glossy purple-brown leaves and spikes of blue flowers up to 30cm tall.