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 plants included below provide a succession of pollen and nectar for insects across the growing season.

The Bergenia provides some groundcover and will help prevent erosion of bare soil. Groundcover can also help to reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface and suppress weed growth. Additional organic mulching can further improve soil moisture retention and weed suppression.

1 - Anemone hupehensis ‘Hadspen Abundance’

2 - Cornus alba ‘Siberica’

3 - Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’

4 - Sarcococca confusa

5 - Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’

6 - Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’

2 - Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ is a medium-sized shrub forming a thicket of slender red stems, becoming bright crimson in winter. The green leaves turn reddish in autumn. Flat heads of small cream flowers are followed by bluish-white berries.

3 - Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ is a large, spreading shrub or small tree with dark green leaves that turn brilliant scarlet-red in autumn. Inconspicuous but nectar-rich green and white flowers in summer are followed by pink four-lobed fruits, which split to reveal orange seeds and lasting well into winter.

4 - Sarcococca confusa is a bushy evergreen shrub, with small, wavy, glossy deep green leaves and very sweetly scented, creamy-white flowers in winter, followed by glossy black berries.

5 - Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ is a compact, bushy evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and showy red buds in late winter, which open to fragrant white flowers in early spring.

6 - Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’ is an evergreen perennial with vivid pink flowers on tall red stems in spring, held above bronze-green leaves that redden in winter. This is a very floriferous cultivar with good frost resistance.