How to Turn Your Garden into a Pollinator Paradise
- Greg
- Mar 27
- 14 min read
If you’ve been following my Rewilding Rainford efforts, you’ll know that this year I’m putting even more focus on rewilding and bringing biodiversity back to our village. My beekeeping journey is still buzzing along (catch updates on my YouTube channel!), but rewilding is the bigger picture. And if we can all do our part, Rainford—and beyond—could become a haven for pollinators, birds, and all things wild.
So, if you’re wondering how you can help without turning your entire garden into a jungle, I’ve got you covered. Here’s how to make a pollinator paradise right in your own back garden —one small step at a time.
Ditch the Double Petals – Go Wild Instead
You know those big, fluffy, show-off flowers you see in garden centres? While they might look impressive, they’re unfortunately rather useless to pollinators. Many double-petalled flowers have been bred to be sterile, meaning no nectar, no pollen, and no food for the bees! Worse is that some ornamental flowers can sometimes trap and kill pollinators that attempt to check them for food.
Fortunately, the world of flowers is as diverse as it is vast. If you like a particular shape or petal arrangement of one plant then you can usually find something similar that is pollinator friendly.
Some popular flowers to avoid:
Begonias & Double Dahlias – Beautiful, but lack accessible nectar and pollen.
Petunias & Busy Lizzies – Often treated with pesticides before sale, and offer little food for pollinators.
Hybrid Tea Roses – many have been bred for looks over function, so check before planting.
Instead, go for single-flowered, nectar-rich blooms that provide plenty of accessible food:
Swap Double Dahlias for Cosmos – They’re just as vibrant and beloved by bees.
Ditch Busy Lizzies for Hardy Geraniums – A long-flowering, pollinator-friendly alternative.
Instead of Hybrid Tea Roses, plant Dog Roses or Wild Roses – These provide open access to pollen and even rosehips for birds in winter.
What to plant instead: Go for single-flowered, nectar-rich blooms like lavender, foxglove, and cornflowers. If you’re not sure, a good rule of thumb is—if you can’t see the pollen, neither can the bees.
Of course, having the right plants is just the beginning. Pollinators don’t just need food—they need the right environment to thrive. That’s where a little controlled chaos can work wonders...
A Little Mess Goes a Long Way
Some people dream of perfect, striped lawns and flower beds so neat they could be measured with a ruler. I’d like to say that I’m the same but I’m not. It’s the fear of being judged by my neighbours and (mostly) my dad that makes me edge and mow the lawn. I’m not going to lie, the first time I realised that I could help the bees by doing naff all, I was quite excited. Doing nothing is my favourite thing to do! Amazingly, it didn’t take a lot of convincing to get my better half on board either but she stated that I needed to make it look presentable…
Presentable chaos is definitely a hard mission to achieve but with a lot of trial and error (and marital disagreements) I think we managed it in the end. I’ll explain how to do this later in this blog but first let’s look how to make things wild before we start to smarten it up.
Here’s some tips on how to make your garden more wildlife friendly:
Leave a Wild Patch: Pick a corner of your garden and let it grow freely. Wildflowers like knapweed, oxeye daisies, and red clover will soon take hold, providing essential nectar and pollen.
Ditch the “Perfect” Lawn: A closely cropped lawn might look neat, but it offers next to nothing for wildlife. Try a "lazy lawn" approach—mow less frequently and let daisies, buttercups, and self-heal flourish. If you’re feeling bold, swap part of your lawn for native wildflowers or a clover lawn, which stays green all year and feeds pollinators.
Add Layers for Wildlife: A mix of textures and heights—long grass, shrubs, wildflowers, log piles, and water sources—creates a more diverse habitat, attracting a wider variety of insects, birds, and small mammals.
Skip Autumn Garden Clear-Outs: Those dead stems and fallen leaves that seem like a mess? They’re actually crucial winter homes for hibernating insects. Hold off on cutting back plants until spring, when it’s warm enough for bugs to wake up and move on.
Let Nature Plant for You: Wind, birds, and insects naturally spread wildflower seeds—so let them do some of the work! You might be surprised at what pops up when you leave part of your garden to its own devices.
The trick is to strike a balance between wildness and structure—rewilding doesn’t mean letting your garden turn into a thicket of brambles (unless that’s your thing!). A little thought and patience can turn even a small space into a buzzing, fluttering sanctuary.
Of course, leaving things wild is only half the battle. To truly support pollinators, we need to make sure there’s food available year-round. That’s why planning for every season is so important…
Plant for Every Season
Imagine going to the shops only to find the shelves are empty. That’s what it’s like for pollinators when all the flowers bloom at once and then vanish! A steady supply of food is key, and the best way to help is by making sure something is in bloom every season.
Last time I was pushing for Rewilding Rainford I found a patch of land behind the Village Hall that seemed to have turned into a bit of an eyesore. Grass had gone crazy and the flowering plants in there were struggling. I gave a plan to the parish councillors to do something different with that space. I wanted to turn it into a community garden, a place where everyone could come and plant something for everyone to enjoy. In my head I had this idea as a centre piece. A circular path that had flowering plants either side. My plan was to find plants that would bloom at different parts of the year from Jan to Dec. It would act like a clock for the seasons. Unfortunately, the space couldn’t be used for that as its owned by Lord Derby and the lease was coming up so there was no point in doing anything fun as it could be destroyed on a whim later on.
If my little clock idea has sparked some interest in yourself, maybe think of planting the following in your garden so precious nectar and pollen are always available year-round:
Spring: Crocus (sow in autumn), primrose (sow in late summer), and lungwort (plant in autumn or spring) provide much-needed food for early bees just waking up from winter.
Summer: Foxgloves (sow in late summer), lavender (plant in spring), and scabious (sow in spring or autumn) keep the feast going when pollinators are most active.
Autumn: Sedum (plant in spring), ivy (plant anytime), and goldenrod (sow in autumn) ensure bees and butterflies can still find food before winter sets in.
Winter: Mahonia (plant in spring or autumn) and winter honeysuckle (plant in autumn) give a lifeline to the tough little insects braving the cold months.
By planning ahead, you can make sure your garden is a constant buffet for pollinators—and a thriving haven for wildlife all year round. But food alone isn’t enough; just like us, pollinators need access to fresh water, especially during hot and dry spells. A simple water source can make all the difference…
Water, Water Everywhere (But Not Too Deep!)
A year or ago Kat and I were doing some garden tidying. It was springtime, the cold weather was starting to lift and the garden was covered in branches and leaves from the winter before. In my efforts to clear the leaves out of the pond I went deep with the net and lifted it up. The net was surprisingly heavy for just some soggy leaves so I up ended the mass onto the grass. To my horror I found a very dead and decomposing grey squirrel. (RIP)
Now... I had put lots of plants, stones and even a half submerged plank on the edge of the pond thinking this was enough for a creature to climb out but clearly it wasn’t. Water is an incredibly important resource for all creatures, not just animals but insects too, especially in summer when its hot or in winter when other water sources are frozen.
I’ve since put a much more gradual ramp in the pond with some chicken wire stapled across it to give any poor creatures that falls into my pond enough grip to latch onto and escape.
As water is such a lifeline its important that we all provide a source for our buzzy friends. If you don’t have a lot of space or want to pretty much guarantee not to end up with a waterlogged individual at the bottom of the drink then you can make a small simple watering hole by doing the following:
Fill a shallow dish or saucer with water.
Add pebbles or twigs so bees and butterflies have something to land on.
Change the water every few days to keep it fresh... although, bugs don't seem to care.
For those wanting to go a step further, because lets face it ponds are cool and the idea of getting frogs and newts is exciting (to me at least) then here's a how to make one with minimal effort and some tips on how to keep your pond safe for those that can’t swim:
How to Build a Simple Wildlife Pond
Pick a Spot – Choose a partially shaded area to prevent excessive algae growth but with some sunlight for plant life.
Find a Container – You don’t need a huge hole in the ground! An old washing-up bowl, a large plant pot with no drainage holes, or a repurposed sink will do the trick.
Dig and Line – If you’re going for an in-ground pond, dig a shallow hole and line it with pond liner or an old tarp to hold water.
Add Layers – Place a few stones and logs around the edges to create different levels, allowing insects and amphibians to get in and out easily.
Provide a Safe Exit – Add a gently sloping ramp (a plank with grooves, a flat stone, or stacked bricks) so hedgehogs and other animals don’t get trapped.
Fill with Rainwater – Tap water contains chemicals that can disrupt natural ecosystems, so collect rainwater in a bucket or water butt to fill your pond. If your pond is massive then you can get special tablets to neutralise a lot of these chemicals.
Plant It Up – Add oxygenating plants like hornwort, water crowfoot, and starwort to keep the water fresh and provide shelter for wildlife.
Leave It Be – Wildlife will find the pond naturally, but if you want to speed things up, place some native pond plants or a bit of pond mud from an established wildlife pond nearby.
Our pond when it was first put in with the "Squirrel Drowner 3000" on the left
Making Your Pond Wildlife-Friendly
Avoid Fish – Fish eat insect larvae and tadpoles, disrupting the balance of a natural pond.
Let It Grow – Algae, duckweed, and fallen leaves may not look pristine, but they create microhabitats for insects and amphibians.
Add Logs and Plants Nearby – Placing a few logs, tall grasses, or wildflowers around the edges provides shelter and encourages more visitors.
Provide Perches – A few floating leaves or sticks give bees and butterflies a safe place to land and drink without risk of drowning.
A pond—no matter how small—creates a whole new ecosystem in your garden. After a few months of having ours I was really confused by how water boatmen got into our pond. I hadn’t added them, yet there were a bunch of them swimming around. We also had some dragonflies which I got far too excited about and bored Kat with my insufferable knowledge on.
Now while water is essential, so is keeping your garden safe for pollinators. Let’s talk about why pesticides (bug spray) on your vegetables might be doing more harm than good…
Ban the Bug Killers – Protect Pollinators and Keep Pests in Check Naturally
It’s tempting to reach for the pesticide when you see aphids on your roses or notice slugs taking bites out of your lettuces. But here’s the thing—chemical pesticides and herbicides don’t just kill pests; they wipe out beneficial insects too. Bees, butterflies, and even birds suffer from the impact of these toxic sprays, and they disrupt the natural balance of your garden’s ecosystem. Some sprays you find online state that they are organic but generally that means their effectiveness is usually terrible or they have a compound that breaks down in the soil. The latter can take years and those chemicals can not only make their way into your food, but they can make their way into our water ways causing untold damage.
Instead of using harmful chemicals, try these eco-friendly ways to protect your plants while keeping pollinators safe:
Companion Planting – Some plants naturally repel pests or attract them away from your crops:
Marigolds deter aphids and whiteflies.
Garlic & Chives help keep slugs, snails, and aphids at bay.
Nasturtiums act as a sacrificial plant, luring aphids away from more delicate vegetables.
Lavender repels moths and fleas while attracting beneficial bees and butterflies.
Encourage Natural Predators – The best pest control squad is already out there in nature:
Ladybirds and hoverflies love feasting on aphids. You can now buy Ladybird larvae to release into your gardens, greenhouses, and poly tunnels which I think is awesome. Just make sure If you get these that they are native to the UK.
Frogs and toads will naturally reduce slug populations (pond comes to the rescue again).
Birds like blue tits eat caterpillars and insects—putting up a bird feeder can encourage them to stick around.
Hedgehogs are slug-eating machines! Creating hedgehog-friendly spaces can naturally reduce your garden pests.
Use Barriers and Traps – Sometimes, a little strategic defence can go a long way:
Copper Tape around pots and raised beds is said to deter slugs and snails (worth a try!).
Eggshells & Coffee Grounds sprinkled around plants create a rough surface that slugs don’t like crossing.
Netting & Cloches protect young plants from caterpillars and birds, but make sure there are gaps so pollinators can still access flowers.
Beer Traps (a small dish of beer buried in the soil) can attract and drown slugs without harming other wildlife.
Hand-Picking & Water Sprays – Sometimes, the simplest methods are the best:
Blast aphids off with water—a strong spray from the hose will knock them off plants. If you use a bit of soap and water in a spray gun on the infested area first then you can increase the effectiveness of the hose.
Pick off slugs & snails in the evening and relocate them away from your plants... just wear gloves… slugs make me queasy.
Encourage biodiversity—the more natural balance in your garden, the fewer pest problems you’ll have in the long run.
Accept a Few Holes in Your Leaves – A nibbled leaf isn’t the end of the world! Some level of damage means your garden is supporting a healthy ecosystem. After all, a pristine garden is often a lifeless one.
Behold our netted tunnel!
If you’re worried about bringing insects inside when harvesting your vegetables, as I usually am, there are a few simple ways to remove them naturally which I knew before writing this blog post:
Soak in Salt Water – A mild saltwater soak (around a teaspoon of salt per litre of water) can help draw out hidden bugs from leafy greens.
Vinegar Rinse – A splash of apple cider vinegar in water is another effective way to remove unwanted critters before cooking.
Blast with Water – A quick but thorough rinse under running water is often enough to dislodge small insects.
Leave Veggies Outside for a Bit – Sometimes, all it takes is setting your harvest in a shady spot for an hour, and any hiding bugs will crawl away on their own.
A few extra steps in the kitchen can help ensure your veggies are clean while still keeping your garden a thriving, pesticide-free space for pollinators and beneficial insects!
By switching to these natural pest control methods, you’ll keep your plants happy while ensuring pollinators and other beneficial wildlife can thrive. And speaking of keeping your garden wildlife-friendly, let’s talk about giving wildlife a proper place to rest…
Create a Buzzing B&B – Build Safe Spaces for Pollinators and Wildlife
Pollinators don’t just need food—they need shelter, too. Whether it’s a home for bees, butterflies, beetles, birds, bats, or hedgehogs, providing safe spaces to nest, hibernate, and rest can make your garden an essential wildlife haven.
There are plenty of bird, bat and hedgehog boxes available online. They’re usually mass produced and look smart for a year or so before they start to break apart and become good for nothing. I find the best shelters you can provide for wildlife are those made by your own hands. You get to choose the materials, the design and the build quality. Now don’t be scared of building a bird box or two. If you pay attention to any of my social media or blog posts, you can see that I lack any natural gifts when it comes to DIY but in 2022 I built 30 birdboxes and put them up all around Rainford.
Almost all of them were inhabited, including the swift box that I donated to Green Acres Ceremonial part, to my great excitement! They’re all still hanging around now, hopefully having housed a few more families of birds. Now fear not, I’ve found some really easy plans to stick to below and have some helpful tips for those interested in building better for birds and things that go squeak in the night.
DIY Shelter Plans:
Bee Hotels: The Wildlife Trusts Guide
Bird Boxes: Somerset Wildlife Trust Plans
Bat Boxes: Dustin Bajer's Multi-Species Shelter
Hedgehog Houses: RSPB’s Hedgehog Home Guide
Best Materials for Wildlife Shelters:
Bee Hotels – Use untreated hardwood, bamboo canes, or paper tubes for nesting spaces.
Bird Boxes – Opt for cedar or pine, making sure the wood is untreated. I’ve had success with plywood but these need to be painted to be protected from the weather. Only paint the edges and the sides that are on the outside of the box.
Bat Boxes – Rough-sawn untreated wood gives bats a good surface to cling to. Again, plywood is okay to use, but rough up the surface with some very course sandpaper. I used a router to create a ladder effect for the bats.
Hedgehog Houses – Build with untreated timber and plywood, adding a corrugated roof or roofing felt for waterproofing. Also make sure the openings are only big enough for hedgehogs or they can sometimes get jumped by predators while confined.
Best Places to Put Wildlife Shelters:
Bee Hotels – Place in a sunny, sheltered spot, about 1-2 metres off the ground. Attach to a wall or fence with no vegetation blocking the entrance.
Log Piles & Deadwood – Stack logs in a shady, undisturbed corner to provide homes for beetles, woodlice, and fungi.
Hedgehog Houses – Place in a quiet, shaded spot under hedges or in a wild patch. Ensure there’s a hedgehog highway (a 13cm hole in your fence) for them to roam between gardens.
Bird Boxes – Position at least 2 metres up, facing between north and east to avoid direct sunlight and rain.
Bat Boxes – Fix high up on a tree or building, in a south-facing position for warmth.
Extra Tips to Attract Wildlife to Shelters:
Leave piles of leaves for insects and hibernating hedgehogs.
Avoid using slug pellets or harmful chemicals that could poison wildlife.
Keep an area of long grass for butterflies to lay eggs and shelter caterpillars.
Let ivy and climbing plants grow on fences to create natural hiding spots.
By making your garden a home as well as a food source, you’ll encourage more wildlife to stay and thrive.
Start Small – But Start Today!
You don’t have to transform your entire garden overnight. Even one of these changes will make a difference. Start with a pot of lavender, skip a mow, or put out a water dish. The best thing? Nature responds fast. Within days, you’ll notice more bees, butterflies, and maybe even a ladybird or two.
The more of us that take these steps, the more we turn Rainford into a true pollinator paradise.
So, what’s your first move? Swap your lawn for a pollinator buffet? Or maybe create a collection of birdboxes? Whatever you choose, tag me—I love seeing the chaos unfold! Already started?
Share your photos on social media or drop a comment—I can't wait to see the buzz you’re creating!
(Please allow me to promote one of my products as unfortunately bills need to be paid, sorry!)
If you’re looking for high-quality, UK-native wildflower seeds, I sell my own specially selected mixes that have been chosen to maximise biodiversity. These seeds are perfect for anyone wanting to create a vibrant, pollinator-friendly space while supporting Rewilding Rainford. They include a variety of nectar-rich species suited to local conditions, ensuring that your wild patch will thrive year after year. You can find them here: Wildflower Seeds - 30g
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