Kitchen Garden Forum

You are right about the lavender, Compo, and they are doubly beneficial, because goldfinches absolutely love lavender seeds. So I never cut them down until the spring when the birds have had their winter feed.

One you might not think of is Fuchsia. The ordinary magellanica flowers for months, the bees love it and blackbirds eat the fruit. Can be used as a hedge.

Hi Geoff,
You are certainly correct. My daughter used to live at a large house in Bristol and in the front garden was a Fuchsia Magellanica Tree it had a trunk about 8" diameter and stood some 10' high. Somewhere I have a photo of this tree but it is not digital so to transfer it so that I could show you is totally beyond my knowledge of computer science even if I can find the photo.
I suspect that it was one of the very first to be planted in the country.
Bristol has some quite rare plants being probably the seaport where these plants came into the country and a wealthy area at that time.
JB.

Thank you all for adding your extensive knowledge and observaions, Hi Colin, Monika, Geoff, that's great, have you noticed how they need different sizes of flowers too, gate keeper butterflies love the tiny flowers on my marjoram and oregano solitary bees like mint flowers, and cane fruit blossom especially and the big bumble bees disappear insde things like the nasturtiums and foxgloves, hoverflies like marigolds, tomatilloes, and lettuce and cabbage flowers before seeding. There is a very very tiny moth or butterfly that loves to hang around the mediterranian herbs tiny flowers, and I haven't managed to identify it yet, with wings open it's triangular shaped, yellow dash markings at the edge of it's wings, reddish brownish colouring.

And different shapes of flowers for the long and short tongued beeds to each access food. Bell shaped and flat daisy shaped and snapdragon shapes etc. Nit forgetting flowers which give a spread across the year especially June/July when often their is a lull.

Nature's Babe wrote:Thank you all for adding your extensive knowledge and observaions, Hi Colin, Monika, Geoff, that's great, have you noticed how they need different sizes of flowers too, gate keeper butterflies love the tiny flowers on my marjoram and oregano solitary bees like mint flowers, and cane fruit blossom especially and the big bumble bees disappear insde things like the nasturtiums and foxgloves, hoverflies like marigolds, tomatilloes, and lettuce and cabbage flowers before seeding. There is a very very tiny moth or butterfly that loves to hang around the mediterranian herbs tiny flowers, and I haven't managed to identify it yet, with wings open it's triangular shaped, yellow dash markings at the edge of it's wings, reddish brownish colouring.

Hi NB,

Is it the Ruby and Gold? They are quite common here on the Oregano and Mint flowers

Close PJ but no, not that one, but that was nearest to it, the yellow markings are near the edge of the wings , more like four slim _ marks than a blotch. very dainty, a smaller wider triangle shape, wings not as furry smoother, reddish near the body

Nature's Babe wrote:Close PJ but no, not that one, but that was nearest to it, the yellow markings are near the edge of the wings , more like four slim _ marks than a blotch. very dainty, a smaller wider triangle shape, wings not as furry smoother, reddish near the body

Oh well, it was nice try