What plant do bees and butterflies love the most in your garden?

[Liquorish]

I always see them at the lavender, sunflowers and verbena in my garden. I have limited space but I’d love to plant some more thing this year that would benefit them.

Borage, wallflowers, nepetia sth with blue flowers, foxgloves

Planted some from seed about 4yr ago, and I have 3 about to bloom in that same area this week (I assume from the seeds that fell off originals).

It's calmed down a lot now that we have more things in flower, but earlier in the year my 2 pieris (forest flame) plants were covered in bees. It has bunches of little bell shaped flowers at a time when there's not much else flowering here.

I only have a small garden so I've planted with the intention of getting the longest flowering season possible.

I love my wee garden 😍 🐝 🦋 🐛

I grew some foxglove from seed 2 years ago, white ones, they are just throwing up spikes now, usually have some self seeded ones too. But I’ll sow seed again this year just to keep thing going.

Sounds like it’s just mine not performing this year. They are my absolute favourite. Planted some about 4/5 years ago and they just kept coming, apart from this year. I’ll have to get some later today, I can’t be fox gloveless!!
they had seeded in sunny spots so it may be last years heat (despite watering) that did them in, I should have moved them to the shady spots

Definitely my pieris! Also, the geranium macrorhizum gets absolutely covered and I just sit spellbound. The hebes. Borage and hyssop. I find the bees love all the Erysimum not particularly the Bowles Mauve. Definitely alliums and sea holly.
This is a lovely thread thanks @Liquorish

@Liquorish yes it really makes a difference - I've worked in gardens with big dahlia displays and the single-flowered ones were always absolutely buzzing with bees and hoverflies. I do love a pompom dahlia but they're not much cop for the insects.

This is a great thread full of inspiration. I've recently got a new garden and have started planting it up with pollinator-friendly plants. One of my favourites is Cephalaria gigantea (a tall pale yellow scabious) because the bees adore the flowers. Pulmonaria is the favourite of hairy-footed flower bees which emerge early so plant a bit of that somewhere a bit shady and look out for black and brown bees that zig zag between the flowers with their long tongues out in Feb/March 😁

Nastursiums for the Cabbbage White Butterflies to grow their caterpillers on.
I'm not even keen on the plants but this year I'm well prepared and have two huge tubs overflowing with leaves. No flowers yet .

CWB , we are ready when you are