Plant Category: Plants for Pollinators

‘Glen Coe’ is a mid-season, summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberry hybrid that was raised by the Scottish Crop Research Institute.  A hybrid bred from ‘Glen Prosen’ and an unnamed thornless black raspberry; ‘Glen Coe’ is raspberry with a fantastic flavour!

I ordered my first ‘Glen Coe’ raspberry plants over 10 years ago.  I adored these sweet and tangy, intensely flavoured raspberries.  However, when my raspberry plants fruited, their fruit didn’t have as rounded a shape as the ‘Glen Coe’ raspberries I’d seen in promotional photographs from online fruit nurseries. 

Basil is probably my favourite herb.  There are a stunning selection of basil varieties available, each with their own flavour.  Different basil types each have their charm and depending on the variety will produce tiny, small, medium, or extra-large sized leaves.  I adore the flavour of a vast array of basil varieties, and I really enjoy growing basil from seed and cuttings.

Erigeron annuus is a charming plant which is sometimes called Tall Fleabane.  In the UK, Erigeron annuus plants produce tall sprays of small white-petalled, yellow-centred daisies from June to the end of October (early summer to early autumn).  These plants display a relaxed and floaty air, which is always welcome in my garden.  Erigeron annuus has that gorgeous meadowy vibe!  Plants have a naturally open habit, which allows us many opportunities to see what other plants are growing amongst them.

‘Moonlight’ is a lovely white-flowered runner bean that was bred by Tozer Seeds, in the UK.  This is a tall, climbing runner bean.

Runner bean ‘Moonlight’ seeds are widely available.  Very occasionally ‘Moonlight’ runner beans are available to purchase as plants – try your local garden centre, or search for online retailers and mail order suppliers.  Plants tend to be significantly more expensive than seeds. 

Runner bean ‘Snowstorm’ is a tell climbing runner bean variety that was bred in the UK by Tozer Seeds.  ‘Snowstorm’ is an easy to grow, productive variety with pretty white flowers.  This variety has been created by crossing French beans with runner beans to create a runner bean cultivar that is is pollinated more readily and more reliable at cropping.  Tozer have bred a number of runner bean cultivars with French bean genetics in their family tree as part of their extensive breeding programme, that has ran for more than twenty years. 

Runner bean ‘Benchmaster’ is a runner bean with handsome red flowers and long runner beans.  This is a good variety to grow if you’re thinking of entering your runner beans into your local flower show.

Runner bean ‘Benchmaster’ is a tall, climbing runner bean that will grow up to a minimum of 2m (6.5ft) tall, and taller!  If you’re growing ‘Benchmaster’, it’s vital to provide your runner bean plants with a sturdy support frame that will be strong enough to hold the full height and weight of your mature runner bean plants, together with a hefty harvest of runner beans, and will be robust enough to withstand high winds and storms. 

‘Polestar’ is a tall climbing runner bean that will grow to at least 2m (6.5ft) tall and like other climbing runner beans, will happily grow taller!  Runner bean ‘Polestar’ plants have red flowers and produce runner beans with a good flavour.  ‘Polestar’ was the first stringless runner bean bred by Tozer Seeds.

Runner beans are available to purchase as seeds, or occasionally as plants – try your local garden centre or search for online retailers and mail order suppliers. 

Runner bean ‘St George’ is a very ornamental runner bean cultivar that produces striking red and white bi-coloured flowers.  This is an ideal choice of runner bean if you’re looking to grow decorative, yet flavourful, edible plants.

‘St George’ is a climbing runner bean that will grow up to a minimum of 2m (6.5ft) tall.  All tall climbing runner bean plants require substantial support frames that are strong enough to hold full-sized runner bean plants, along with the weight of their beans, but are also robust enough to hold the beans and plants whilst withstanding high winds and storms. 

Runner bean ‘Firestorm’ (also known by the botanical name, Phaseolus coccineus ‘Firestorm’) is a climbing runner bean variety that was bred in the UK by Tozer Seeds.  ‘Firestorm’ is an easy to grow, productive variety with handsome red flowers and delicious runner beans.

‘Firestorm’ has been available for a few years now – this particular runner bean has a truly excellent flavour and texture. 

Primula veris is also known as the Cowslip.  Primula veris is very pretty perennial that holds a special place in many people’s hearts, reminding us of country walks and the beauty of nature.  Primula veris is a commonly seen wildflower throughout Europe – being known and loved by so many – I am certain this lovely plant has many more common names. 

Corylus avellana is a wonderful shrub or tree that in the UK is commonly known as hazel.  I absolutely adore Corylus avellana, it’s one of my favourite plants; I’d encourage almost anyone to grow this fantastic shrub, tree, or hedge!  A native tree of many countries in Europe, Corylus avellana is a superb plant for a wildlife garden or an edible garden. 

Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica is a fabulous plant to have in your garden during January, February, and March, when this clematis produces these lovely cream-coloured, pendent flowers that are so beautifully freckled in maroon.  This is an evergreen clematis with handsome, ferny foliage that nicely compliments Clematis cirrhosa var. balearica flowers.  The flowers transform into sumptuously silky, fluffy seed heads as they fade.

In the UK, Sambucus nigra is known as Elder.  These small trees and shrubs must have many common names, as they’re a wild plant that frequents many countries across Europe, as well as places as far afield as Western Asia and North Africa.  Sambucus nigra is a deciduous plant with green pinnate foliage.  In late spring and early summertime, Sambucus nigra produces huge flat circles of cream coloured, scented flowers that are popular with insects. 

The Silver Birch (Betula pendula) is one of our most recognisable UK native trees with its glorious silvery-white bark and dainty green leaves.  We’re not the only ones to have an affinity with Betula pendula, this stunning tree is a native plant of many countries in Europe and Northern Asia.  Betula pendula is a deciduous tree, its leaves turn from green to a buttery yellow before falling in autumn. 

Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Obelisk’ is a small tree with a slim and naturally upright habit that’s a popular choice for small gardens – thanks to this plant’s fastigiated, narrow vertical growth.

A number of years ago, I planted this lovely tree in my own garden; I’ve found Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Obelisk’ is a pretty tree that’s easy to accommodate – it thrives in my garden’s well-drained, sandy soil. 

In the UK, Prunus spinosa is usually known by its common name – Blackthorn.  I am sure that Prunus spinosa has many common names, as this is a widespread plant that can be found growing in the wild across Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.  Prunus spinosa can be grown as a shrub, a hedge, or a tree.  These plants are very spiny and they often form thickets. 

Ilex aquifolium is the commonest holly we have in the UK; plants can be found growing both in the wild and as cultivated, garden plants.  This holly species can be used as container plants, for hedging, or grown as specimen trees.  Ilex aquifolium is native to the UK (Ilex aquifolium is absent from the Outer Hebrides, the Shetland Isles, and Orkney) but this is also a native plant of West Asia, North Africa, Southern and Western Europe.

Hylotelephium spectabile are hardy herbaceous perennials that bloom in late summer and early autumn; their flowers are very attractive to bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other pollinating insects.  Many gardeners know this plant by its common name – Sedum – but Hylotelephium spectabile is this plant’s up-to-date, botanical name.

These plants will positively thrive in sandy, silty and naturally well-drained soils; Hylotelephium spectabile love to grow in bright and sunny areas. 

In early autumn, these Asters produce masses of small, lilac-blue coloured daisies with yellow centres.  My friends Terry and Nicky gave me this Aster, it’s a division from their garden.  Neither of us know the name of this variety, so Symphyotrichum novae-angliae is as much of the name as I can give you, but if I can identify this plant more fully in future, I’ll be sure to update this page. 

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’ is a hardy, herbaceous perennial.  In early autumn, these plants produce masses of small, but loud and vibrant, glowing-pink coloured flowers with yellow centres; the central disc florets fade and become browner in colour, as the blooms age.  My Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’ is in bloom at the moment – my plant began flowering in mid September and it’s in full flower now, in the first week of October 2021.