Do you want bees and butterflies in your garden? Then it is better to ignore these plants | Living

Nature in the Netherlands, but also worldwide, is doing badly, says Sanne Janssen of Milieu Centraal, the platform for independent and practical information about the environment and energy. “The number of insects is declining. 75 percent of flying insects have already disappeared. And that is also bad for other animals that depend on the insects, such as birds.”

That is why wild bees and bumblebees are so badly needed, argues Janssen. They provide pollination. You can also contribute to this in your garden or on your balcony. “Many people would like to buy plants especially for insects, but when they are in the garden center, they still choose the plant that is beautiful. But it may not be suitable at all.” With these tips you can design your garden in a bee-friendly way.

“Go for plants that originally grow here,” says Janssen. “Some insects really need those plants. For example, many people plant a butterfly bush, very beautiful, but it does not originate in the Netherlands. It is therefore useless for rare insects. Rare species cannot do without local planting. The same goes for the hydrangea you see in many gardens. For most insects it is actually useless.”

Janssen cannot emphasize it enough: “Buy organic plants, seeds and bulbs. You should really pay attention to an organic label. Just the text ‘bee-friendly’ does not mean that no pesticides have been used.”

Many growers use poison when growing plants. “Insects also get that and that can kill them. It is better to buy organic plants with a quality mark such as Demeter, EKO or EU organic. But of course you can also go to a grower who you know does not use pesticides.”

Organic plants are often less attractive when purchased. “But once in the open ground they grow into beautiful plants.”

Plants are continuously cultivated, so that people find them just that little bit more beautiful. In addition, they are sometimes grown with extra petals. ,,But be careful,” warns Janssen. “Double filled flowers are very beautiful, but very frustrating for insects. They know flowers contain nectar and pollen, but they can’t get to them. This is the case with dahlias, for example. The wild dahlia, on the other hand, is single-flowered and therefore very suitable.”

Wild bees and bumblebees don’t just need flowers for their food in summer. Sometimes the insects wake up early from their hibernation and start looking for food. “So if you want to do something for insects, it’s best to have flowers in your garden all year round,” says Janssen. In the winter months, for example, the snowdrop and lungwort bloom.

For more information, go to weekvandegroentuin.nl