Plants for Pollinators
- Black Mountain Honey
- May 30
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
How to Grow a Bee-Friendly Garden That Truly Supports Pollinators
Guest Post
As ethical beekeepers and advocates for sustainable pollinator care, here at Black Mountain Honey, we understand that healthy bees start with healthy ecosystems. The challenges facing pollinators today (habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate disruption) are systemic and complex, but the solutions begin at ground level, quite literally.
One of the most impactful things any of us can do is grow the right plants in the right places. Herbs, in particular, are a cornerstone of forage for many pollinating species. They’re rich in nectar and pollen, flower over extended periods, and thrive even in small urban spaces.
We’re proud to contribute to this article in collaboration with Pepperpot Herb Nursery, offering practical guidance on how to create gardens that genuinely support pollinator health. Whether you keep bees, grow herbs, or simply care about the future of our food systems and biodiversity, this guide is designed to empower you to make a measurable difference.
Because when it comes to pollinators, every plant matters.
Plants for Pollinators. Article Outline:
1. Serious Pollinator Decline in the UK.
Pollinators are essential to life on Earth, but they’re facing unprecedented challenges. Bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, and even some beetles and birds all play a crucial role in fertilising plants by moving pollen from flower to flower. This process isn’t just important for wildflowers – it's absolutely vital for food production and biodiversity. Without pollinators, entire ecosystems would unravel.
The challenges facing our pollinators aren’t down to just one issue. Over the years, the places where pollinators used to find food have changed dramatically, and, unfortunately, not for the better. A 2019 study by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology found that a third of wild bee and hoverfly species in Britain have declined in their distribution since 1980. Some species have disappeared from over half of the areas where they were once found.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust reports that two bumblebee species have gone extinct in the UK, with several more listed as endangered or vulnerable, including the once-widespread Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum).
What’s Behind the Decline of Pollinators?
97% of wildflower meadows in the UK have been lost since the 1930s, removing key habitats for bees and other pollinators. (Source: Plantlife UK, 2021). That’s over three million hectares gone, primarily due to intensive farming, urban expansion, and industrial development.
What’s left are tiny fragments of wild habitat, often isolated by roads, cities, or large-scale monoculture farms.
That makes it much harder for insects to move around freely, find new food sources, or establish new colonies. Even brownfield sites (those seemingly scruffy bits of unused land) that used to provide refuge for wildlife have been redeveloped, removing yet another lifeline.
Another major concern is pesticide use. These chemicals are designed to kill pests, but the problem is, they don’t stop there.
Some of these chemicals don’t just sit on the surface of plants; they’re absorbed by the entire plant, right down to its nectar and pollen. Even when used as a seed coating, they spread through the plant and can end up being consumed by bees and other insects as they forage. And it doesn’t take much. Tiny, sub-lethal doses can confuse bees’ navigation systems, reduce their ability to gather food, and weaken their immune response.
Climate change is also not always as visible as a bulldozer clearing a field, but it’s just as disruptive. Warmer winters, sudden heatwaves, unpredictable rain. These changes are messing with the finely-tuned seasonal rhythms that pollinators depend on.
Take flowering times, for instance. If a plant starts blooming earlier due to a mild winter, but the insect that depends on it hasn’t emerged yet, that’s a missed opportunity. For specialist pollinators that rely on just a few plants, this can be catastrophic.
2. How Pollinator Decline Affects You And What You Can Do.
Without pollinators, many foods would disappear (or become prohibitively expensive). Apples, strawberries, tomatoes, courgettes, broad beans, and dozens more crops rely on insect pollination.
According to the University of Reading’s Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, the economic value of insect pollination to UK agriculture is estimated at over £600 million annually. Without bees and their fellow pollinators, much of this value, and the food it supports, would be lost.
But it’s not just about economics. Pollinators are essential for:
Biodiversity – their work supports thousands of plant and animal species.
Soil health – through the plants they pollinate and sustain.
Our wellbeing – pollinator-rich gardens are proven to reduce stress and boost mental health.
Here’s the good news: every patch that includes plants that support pollinators helps. Whether it’s a box of thyme, a wild corner of chives and borage, or a border bursting with sunflowers, lavender and oregano, it all adds up.
In fact, urban gardens now cover more land in the UK than all our nature reserves combined. That means your small herb garden could play a significant role in national pollinator recovery.
3. Why Herbs Are Perfect Plants for Pollinators.
Herbs have evolved alongside pollinators for thousands of years. They’re aromatic, colourful, easy to grow, and packed with nectar and pollen. Whether planted in borders, pots, or a sunny balcony box, herbs can do wonders for attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Planting pollinator-friendly herbs is a simple but powerful step in supporting these vital creatures and encouraging biodiversity.
Here’s why herbs make ideal pollinator plants:
Long flowering periods
Many herbs bloom over long periods, providing a continuous source of food from late spring into autumn (i.e. borage, lavender);
Rich in nectar and pollen
They offer a reliable and abundant food supply for bees and butterflies. Some herbs have open, shallow flowers perfect for short-tongued bees like honeybees and bumblebees, while others have nectar-filled tubular blooms that appeal to longer-tongued bees and butterflies. The diversity of flower shapes, scents, and flowering times is key, as they offer food, shelter, and even breeding habitats throughout the growing season.
Compact and versatile
Herbs thrive in all sorts of spaces, from open beds and borders to patio pots and window boxes.
Fragrant and beautiful
Their vibrant blooms and lovely scents make your garden more enjoyable while supporting nature.
4. Top Herb Plants for Pollinators.
Borage
Borage produces starry flowers that replenish nectar constantly, making it a nonstop food station for bees.
Its fragrant spikes offer rich nectar, particularly loved by bumblebees and butterflies.
With its long flowering season and soft purple blooms, catmint is a reliable nectar source that’s especially attractive to solitary bees.
A pollinator party plant, its carpet of blooms draws in butterflies, hoverflies, and bees.
This low-growing herb produces clusters of tiny flowers rich in nectar, attracting honeybees and beneficial hoverflies.
Bold flower spikes and strong scent make hyssop a bumblebee favourite, while also attracting predatory insects.
One of the first flowering herbs of the year, their pom-pom blooms are vital for early-emerging bees.
Their aromatic flowers are rich in nectar and bloom early in the season when other food sources are scarce for pollinators.
Big, bold, and beneficial, its daisy-like blooms are loved by butterflies and wild bees alike, offering pollen right into autumn.
5. Gardening Without Chemicals.
No matter how many plants for pollinators you grow, your efforts can be undone by chemicals. Pesticides and herbicides, especially those with systemic action, contaminate nectar and pollen, harming the precious bees we’re trying to protect.
Go organic where possible:
Use natural pest control methods, such as companion planting or hand-picking pests.
Let nature balance itself with ladybirds, birds, and predatory beetles.
Accept some imperfection, a hole in a leaf is better than a dead bee.
6. Plants for Pollinators. Join the Movement. Summary.
Planting with intention has never mattered more. By choosing the right plants for pollinators, reducing chemical use, and supporting ethical beekeeping, you can turn even the smallest green space into a lifeline for nature.
Are You Ready to Do More?
Support bees by supporting the people who care for them every day.
At Black Mountain Honey, our raw honey is made by bees nourished on natural forage and tended with respect. Every jar supports hive health, habitat restoration, and pollinator education.
