Pollinator Friendly Plants for Your Cottage Garden

Why Pollinator Friendly Plants Matter in Your Cottage Garden

There's something magical about stepping into your garden on a warm summer's day and hearing the gentle hum of bees as they dance from bloom to bloom, or watching a painted lady butterfly alight on a swaying verbena stem. These moments aren't just beautiful—they're essential to the health of our ecosystem and our food supply.

Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and even beetles, are responsible for pollinating approximately one-third of the food we eat. Yet these precious creatures are in decline, facing threats from habitat loss, pesticide use, and a lack of flowering plants rich in nectar and pollen. Your cottage garden can become a vital sanctuary, offering the sustenance and shelter that pollinators desperately need.

The wonderful news? Creating a pollinator-friendly cottage garden doesn't mean sacrificing beauty. Many of the most stunning cottage garden classics—from towering foxgloves to fragrant wallflowers—are already pollinator magnets. By choosing the right plants and creating a diverse, blooming haven, you'll be rewarded with a garden that's alive with colour, movement, and the reassuring buzz of life.

 Understanding What Pollinators Need

Before we dive into specific plants, let's understand what makes a garden truly pollinator-friendly. It's not just about planting a few pretty flowers—it's about creating a complete habitat.

Nectar and Pollen Throughout the Seasons

Pollinators need food from early spring right through to late autumn. While it's easy to have blooms in summer, the challenge is providing nectar in those shoulder seasons when food is scarce. Aim for continuous flowering from February through October.

Simple, Open Flowers

While those frilly double blooms might look spectacular to us, they're often useless to pollinators. Many modern cultivars have been bred for appearance, with so many petals that the nectar and pollen are hidden or absent altogether. Single, open flowers with accessible centres are what bees and butterflies need.

Diverse Plant Selection

Different pollinators have different preferences. Long-tongued bees love tubular flowers like foxgloves, while hoverflies prefer flat, open blooms like achillea. By planting a variety of flower shapes and sizes, you'll attract and support a wider range of species.

Pesticide-Free Gardening

This should go without saying, but it's crucial: avoid pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, which are devastating to bee populations. Embrace a few aphids—they'll attract ladybirds (bishy barnabees!) and hoverflies, which are both excellent pollinators.

 Best Pollinator Friendly Plants for Spring

Spring is a critical time for pollinators emerging from winter. Early flowering plants provide essential energy for queen bumblebees starting new colonies and butterflies waking from hibernation.

Wallflowers (Erysimum)

Few plants signal spring quite like wallflowers, with their intoxicating clove-like fragrance wafting through the garden. These hardy biennials are among the first substantial nectar sources of the year, blooming from March through May alongside tulips. The Ruby Gem variety offers velvety, ruby-red flowers that bees absolutely adore, while their rich scent draws in pollinators from afar.

 Honesty (Lunaria annua)

With its fragrant purple and white blooms appearing in spring, honesty is beloved by early bumblebees. But this biennial beauty offers more than spring nectar—its translucent, moon-like seed pods add winter interest and are treasured by flower arrangers. Honesty seeds sown in June will reward you with blooms the following spring.  

Foxgloves (Digitalis)

These quintessential cottage garden giants begin flowering in late spring, their elegant spires providing perfect landing platforms for long-tongued bumblebees. The Excelsior Mix offers stunning variety in purple, pink, cream, and white, while Primrose Yellow foxgloves bring soft, pale blooms dotted with maroon freckles—perfect for shadier spots.

 Summer Stars: Peak Season Pollinator Plants  

Summer is when your pollinator garden truly comes alive, humming with activity from dawn till dusk. These plants offer the sustained nectar flow that supports growing bee colonies and migrating butterflies.

Verbena bonariensis  

This architectural beauty is arguably the single best pollinator plant you can grow. Its tall, airy stems topped with purple flower clusters create a hazy purple veil through which you can see the rest of your garden. Butterflies particularly love perching on its flat flower heads, and it blooms continuously from June until the first frosts. Self-seeding generously, it weaves itself through other plants with effortless grace.  

 Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus)  

 No cottage garden is complete without the cheerful blue of cornflowers dancing in the breeze. These hardy annuals are absolutely beloved by bees and butterflies, who work their way around each flower head with industrious dedication. Direct sow in autumn or spring for months of blooms.  

Nepeta (Catmint)

Often called "easy lavender," Nepeta 'Mussinii' creates tumbling mounds of aromatic, silver-grey foliage topped with endless spikes of soft lavender-blue flowers. It's listed as one of the best nectar sources in the UK and is a particular favourite of bumblebees and honeybees. Unlike true lavender, it's tougher, hardier, and will bloom in its first year from seed. Give it the "Chelsea Chop" in July—cutting it back by half—and you'll get a fresh flush of flowers for autumn pollinators.

Phacelia tanacetifolia

If you could only grow one plant for bees, this might be it. Phacelia is an absolute bee magnet, with its beautiful lavender flowers attracting hoverflies and other pollinators in droves. It has a sweet scent, flowers for ages, and even lasts well in a vase. This informal beauty is perfect for a cottage garden aesthetic and couldn't be easier to grow—just give it full sun.

Scabious (Scabiosa)

These pincushion flowers are cottage garden classics with a fantastically long flowering season. Their intricate blooms attract a wide variety of pollinators, and they're excellent cut flowers too. The Imperial Mix offers gorgeous shades that blend beautifully with other cottage garden favourites.

Cosmos

With their enchanting flowers and feathery foliage, cosmos produce masses of blooms for months. The secret to continuous flowering? Keep cutting them for vases—this encourages even more blooms. Their open, daisy-like flowers are easily accessible to all manner of pollinators.

Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum)

These cheerful, peppery-scented plants offer wonderful ground cover in beautiful shades of orange and yellow. They're incredibly easy to grow, self-seeding freely, and their bright blooms are visited by bees throughout summer. Plus, both flowers and leaves are edible, adding a peppery kick to salads.

 Autumn Blooms to Extend the Season

As summer fades, many gardeners forget that autumn pollinators face a critical food shortage just when they need to build up reserves for winter. Extending your garden's flowering season into autumn is one of the most valuable things you can do.

Achillea (Yarrow)

This fabulous perennial offers flat-topped flower clusters that act as landing pads for hoverflies, butterflies, and bees. It's incredibly long-flowering, often blooming from June right through to October, and it's remarkably drought-tolerant once established. The flat flower heads are ideal for wildlife gardens.

Borage (Borago officinalis)

With its pretty, blue, star-shaped flowers, pollinators are drawn to borage like a magnet. This self-seeding annual will keep appearing in your garden year after year, providing nectar well into autumn. It's also edible, with young leaves tasting of cucumber and flowers that can be frozen in ice cubes for summer drinks.

Clarkia Crown Double Mix

This beautiful, old-fashioned cottage garden flower creates drifts of pink, red, mauve, and white flowers that continue blooming into early autumn. They're good for cutting and great for pollinators, offering late-season nectar when it's increasingly scarce.

Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria)

This classic cottage garden perennial offers stunning vivid pink flowers above soft silvery foliage. Rose campion seeds are hardy and pollinator-friendly, thriving in full sun and flowering through summer into autumn. Its silvery rosettes look beautiful even when not in bloom.

 Creating Different Heights and Layers

 Ground Layer (Up to 30cm)  

• Nasturtiums for sprawling, colourful ground cover
• Dwarf varieties of cosmos and cornflowers
• Creeping varieties of gypsophila

Mid Layer (30cm-90cm)

• Nepeta creating frothy mounds
• Achillea with its flat-topped flowers
• Scabious adding pincushion texture
• Cosmos at medium height

Tall Layer (90cm+)

• Verbena bonariensis creating an airy, see-through veil
• Foxgloves providing architectural spires
• Tall nicotiana with evening-scented trumpets

This layering not only looks stunning but also provides shelter and different foraging heights for various pollinator species.

Top Cottage Garden Pollinator Plants

If you're looking for a curated collection to get started, consider our Flowers to Grow...Perfect for Pollinators seed box. Using the RHS comprehensive list of flowering 'Plants for Pollinators' as a guide, this collection includes 10 packets of wonderful, reliable pollinator-friendly flowers:

• Nicotiana White Trumpets - Evening-scented, trumpet-shaped flowers
• Scabious Imperial Mix - Long-flowering cottage garden favourite
• Achillea - Fabulous, long-flowering, ideal for wildlife gardens
• Nasturtium - Wonderful ground cover in orange and yellow
• Verbena bonariensis - Purple haze all summer long
• Cornflowers - Beloved by bees and butterflies
• Clarkia Crown Double Mix - Old-fashioned beauty in mixed colours
• Borage - Blue, star-shaped bee magnet
• Cosmos - Masses of flowers for months
• Nepeta - Perfect for wildlife gardens with lavender-blue spikes

Each packet comes beautifully presented with clear sowing instructions, and all packaging is thoughtfully designed to be recyclable or compostable.

 Designing Your Pollinator Paradise

Plant in Drifts

Rather than dotting single plants around, plant in groups of at least three to five of the same variety. This creates visual impact and makes it easier for pollinators to find and work the flowers efficiently. They can visit multiple blooms without expending precious energy flying long distances.

Create Sunny Spots

Most pollinator-friendly plants love full sun, and pollinators are most active in warm, sunny conditions. Position your pollinator plants in the sunniest spots of your garden for maximum benefit.

Include Water Sources

Pollinators need water too. A shallow dish with pebbles for landing spots, or a muddy patch in a sunny spot, provides essential drinking water, especially during hot, dry spells.

Let Things Get a Little Wild

The perfectly manicured garden isn't the most wildlife-friendly. Leave some areas a bit wilder—let plants self-seed, leave seed heads standing for winter interest and food, and resist the urge to deadhead everything. Some mess is good!

Avoid Chemicals

This bears repeating: even "bee-safe" pesticides can harm beneficial insects. Learn to tolerate a few aphids and caterpillars—they're food for birds and will attract predatory insects that are often pollinators themselves.

 Common Mistakes to Avoid  

Planting Only Double-Flowered Varieties

While those pom-pom dahlias and ruffled roses look spectacular, many offer little to no nectar or pollen. Always check that plants are marked as pollinator-friendly, or look for the RHS Plants for Pollinators logo.

Creating a Summer-Only Garden

If all your plants bloom in July and August, you're leaving pollinators hungry in spring and autumn. Plan for succession planting with early bloomers like wallflowers and honesty, and late bloomers like achillea and verbena.

Neglecting Biennials

Many excellent pollinator plants are biennials (like foxgloves, wallflowers, and honesty), which means you sow them one year for blooms the next. Plan ahead and sow some biennial seeds each year to ensure continuous flowering.

Over-Tidying in Autumn

Resist cutting everything back in autumn. Many pollinator insects overwinter in hollow stems, and seed heads provide vital food for birds. Leave the tidy-up until early spring.

Forgetting Native Plants

While many cottage garden classics aren't UK natives, incorporating some native wildflowers ensures you're supporting specialist pollinators that have co-evolved with specific plants. Cornflowers, for instance, are native to the UK.

 Year-Round Care for Your Pollinator Garden  

Spring (March-May)

• Sow hardy annual seeds directly where they're to flower
• Start half-hardy annuals like cosmos and nicotiana under cover
• Plant out autumn-sown biennials
• Cut back any perennials left standing over winter
• Resist the urge to tidy too much—emerging queen bees need those messy corners

Summer (June-August)

• Sow biennial seeds (foxgloves, wallflowers, honesty) for next year's blooms
• Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers, but leave some seed heads
• Water during dry spells, especially newly planted areas
• Perform the "Chelsea Chop" on nepeta and other perennials for fresh autumn blooms
• Watch and enjoy! Keep a journal of which plants attract which pollinators

Autumn (September-November)

• Sow hardy annuals for stronger plants and earlier blooms next year
• Plant out biennial seedlings sown in summer
• Reduce deadheading—let seed heads form for birds and overwintering insects
• Leave stems standing rather than cutting back
• Collect seeds from your favourite plants for next year

Winter (December-February)

• This is when your "untidy" garden really pays off—those seed heads and stems provide vital shelter
• Plan next year's garden—order seeds early for best selection
• On mild days, watch for early bumblebee queens searching for nesting sites
• Resist the urge to tidy—wait until March when temperatures warm up

 Creating Your Buzzing Haven  

Transforming your cottage garden into a pollinator paradise isn't just an act of environmental stewardship—it's an invitation to experience your garden in a richer, more meaningful way. There's a profound joy in knowing that your garden is doing good, that each bloom you nurture is sustaining the complex web of life that we all depend upon.

Start small if you need to. Perhaps choose one or two pollinator-friendly plants this season and observe what visits them. Watch how a bumblebee methodically works its way around a verbena flower head, or how a butterfly uncurls its proboscis to sip nectar from a scabious. These moments of connection remind us that we're not separate from nature—we're part of it.

Your cottage garden, with its romantic drifts of colour and delightful informality, is the perfect canvas for this rewarding endeavour. Every foxglove spire you plant, every patch of borage you allow to self-seed, every decision to leave the pesticides in the shed—these are acts of hope, creating a world where pollinators can thrive.

So this season, why not sow some seeds that will do more than just beautify your garden? Plant for the bees, the butterflies, the hoverflies, and all the other precious creatures that need our help. Your garden will thank you with life, movement, and that wonderful, reassuring hum of a healthy ecosystem.

So this season, why not sow some seeds that will do more than just beautify your garden? Plant for the bees, the butterflies, the hoverflies, and all the other precious creatures that need our help. Your garden will thank you with life, movement, and that wonderful, reassuring hum of a healthy ecosystem.

After all, a garden without pollinators is just a collection of plants. But a garden alive with their presence? That's magic.

 Ready to start your pollinator-friendly cottage garden? Browse our Plants for Pollinators collection for RHS-approved seeds grown with love on our Norfolk farm. Every packet comes with clear sowing instructions and eco-friendly packaging, because we believe in being kind to the earth that gives us so much beauty.