How to Bring Bees and Butterflies into Your Garden

Bringing pollinators into your garden isn’t about letting it grow wild. It’s about thoughtful planting, structure, and restraint—supporting local wildlife while keeping the space elegant, seasonal and well-managed.

Bees and butterflies are vital to a healthy garden. In the Oxfordshire villages we work in—places like Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Garsington and Little Milton—we see how even the most polished gardens can support a thriving ecosystem, if they’re planted and cared for the right way.

This guide walks through the core principles for attracting pollinators into your garden, without compromising your aesthetic standards.

Start with the Right Plants

Pollinators are drawn to specific types of flowers: those with high nectar content, long blooming windows, and open faces they can easily land on. We recommend starting with:

• Lavender, catmint and salvia for borders
• Foxgloves in partial shade
• Echinacea and verbena for late summer structure
• Alliums and scabious for early to midsummer interest

Where possible, plant in groups or “drifts”. Pollinators forage more efficiently when plants are clustered—plus, it’s visually cleaner.

For guidance on what to plant, when, and how to layer a border that works across the year, see our article:
What to Plant Each Month for a Beautiful Garden All Year Round.

Plan for the Seasons

A successful pollinator garden doesn’t peak and collapse. It rolls gently through the year. Start with crocuses and hellebores in February, then layer through with geraniums, salvias, and finally sedum and asters for late-season food.

This seasonal pacing is something we prioritise in our
Regular Garden Maintenance plans. We don’t just keep gardens tidy—we keep them alive and working.

Add Water, Not Complexity

A pollinator doesn’t need a grand pond. A shallow bowl of rainwater, a dish set at soil level, or a small, discreet feature is enough. The key is access—a sloped edge or a few stones to perch on.

Keep it Clean, Not Bare

Some structure is essential—edges matter—but don’t strip everything away. Leaving some hollow stems, a log pile in a tucked-away corner, or a small patch of unmown grass gives shelter for bees and other insects.

In the gardens we look after in Charlbury and Cumnor, these small decisions make a visible difference in wildlife activity—without changing the overall look or feel of the space.

Avoid Sprays

Pesticides and herbicides can undo all your hard work in one afternoon. A balanced garden is a slower fix—but it’s better. If you’re pruning as part of your maintenance, do it at the right time of year. This helps shape growth and reduce pests naturally.

You can find pruning guidance here:
The Best Time to Prune Hedges in Oxfordshire.

Wildlife and Order Can Coexist

There’s an idea that pollinator-friendly means messy. It doesn’t. We believe you can have a clipped hedge, a gravel path, and borders full of bees and butterflies. The key is planting with intention, and maintaining it properly.

Our approach—outlined here:
Why We Only Work in Villages – and Why That Matters—is based on long-term care, seasonal thinking, and quiet structure.

Interested in doing more with your garden?

We can help you design, plant, or maintain a pollinator-friendly space—one that suits its surroundings and keeps working across the seasons.
Get in touch to start a conversation.

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