Plants and Wildflowers

• Colour & variety: making your garden a riot of colour and variety will really help all pollinators but try to avoid any kind of ‘double bloom’ as they have fewer anthers, so insects and bees find these very difficult to penetrate.  
• Go peat-free: avoid using compost that contains peat. Our peatlands are a massive carbon store and need protection.
• Be careful where you buy plants: Prof. Dave Goulson purchased a range of plants for scientific analysis from a variety of garden centres. 70% contained neonicotinoids, pesticides that are very harmful to bees and which linger in the environment. Try and buy plants from local - and ideally, organic- suppliers.
• Don’t cut back in Autumn: standing dead herbaceous matter looks stunning when frosted or sparkling with dewy cobwebs and acts as protection to roots, caterpillars and moth pupae, spiders and all sorts of other beneficial creepy crawlies.

• Knights Garden Centre: at Station Road, Betchworth. Supporters of a number of Re-B initiatives.
• Hope Nursery: fully organic and a super range. Find Hope behind the burial ground in Betchworth or on Facebook.
• Hardy Geraniums: behind the cattle sheds to the north end of the allotments in Betchworth.  A great range of hardy plants.
• Buckland Nurseries: a family business on the A25 between Betchworth and Reigate.  Environmentally conscious, chemical-free.

• best plants for pollinators and wildlife 
• composting and leaf mould
• growing your own 

If you have a large area of lawn, consider mowing paths through it and leave the rest of the grass to grow.  Children love secret paths and being in an environment where the grasses are taller than them. Alternatively, simply leave ‘islands’ of one square metre by not cutting that area until late summer.  Remove all the clippings as wildflowers need poor soil.

Plantlife runs a campaign every year called ‘No Mow May’. Visit their website to find out more; you can find  detailed information on creating wildflower meadows (of any size) here too.

Mow less & mow higher - benefits are:

• Less petrol/electricity use, less time spent behind a noisy mower.
• Longer grass is more resistant to drought, so saves water and wildflowers may be waiting their chance.
• You’ll save money and build the food chain of soil insects.

Moss: killing moss and scarifying the lawn is common practice, but the chemicals kill insects and pollinators and aren’t great for humans, pets, wild animals and birds. The moss will need to be removed and disposed of. Be cautious of maintenance crews or companies that offer to transform your lawn – it’s a toxic process. Moss is delightful to walk on, being soft and springy, and it stays green, even in drought conditions.