Biologists are warning more and more urgently that the number of insects in the wild is threateningly decreasing. Humans are to blame for taking away the natural habitat of the animals. Yet insects are so beneficial to the environment. Thankfully, helping them find food isn't difficult. As a hobby gardener, you too can make an important contribution to insect protection. How it works? Quite simply by putting these plants in the garden.
Pussy willows are very popular with bees
Selection of insect rich plants
pastures
- Flowering time: March to April
- Nectar content: high
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Soil: calcareous. loamy, dry
Willows open their buds well before other plants and therefore have a very special importance for the supply after the winter. The Sal willow sometimes has the highest nectar content.
blackberries and raspberries
- Flowering period: May to August
- Nectar content: very high
- Location: sunny
- Soil: rich in nutrients
Everyone can snack here. When hungry bees haunt your blackberry or raspberry hedge in spring due to the rich supply of nectar, the plant will give you delicious berries in late summer.
Wild Wine
- Flowering period: July to September
- Nectar content: high
- Location: sunny, partially shaded or fully shaded
- Soil: deep
House walls or trellises covered with vines are reminiscent of the Mediterranean countries. Above all, in late summer they still make you dream of the warm days when eager insects buzz in the shoots. Then juicy grapes appear on the vines.
herbs
- Flowering time: from March to October, depending on the variety
- Nectar content: high
- Location: sunny
- Soil: dry and loamy
Herbs even turn your balcony into a small green oasis. Thanks to various varieties, they manage to provide not only for themselves, but also for insects all year round. For example, rosemary is the first to bloom. Sage, which loves the blazing sun, is ideal for summer. Later, the nasturtium impresses with its bright blossom. It is wonderful for climbing a balcony railing. Lavender exudes a pleasant scent and has a particularly high nectar content. The best thing about herbs on the balcony, however, is that while they attract beneficial insects, they keep mosquitoes and wasps away.