Some of the most easy-to-grow pollinator friendly plants
On this page you will find selected wildflowers that are super easy to grow, especially suitable for gardening beginners, and for people who love colourful blossom. These six show-stopping wildflowers are absolute magnets for bees and butterflies, as well as garden birds that come to snack the seeds when the flower heads wither at the end of the season. Growing these in your garden or in pots on your balcony will result in a lot of pollinator traffic and bees will come visit you to forage pollen and nectar. Sow these flowers between April and May, depending on your region's climate, and you will have a colourful garden plot for the rest of spring and summer. All of these beginner-friendly flowers will also self-sow, and you will have a colourful plot for many seasons to come.
Phacelia
Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia L.) is also named 'scorpionweed' or 'lacy phacelia' and seems to be one of the bee's all time favourite. Honey bees, bumble bees, hover flies and many other pollinators will come to visit, if you choose to grow it. From first sunlight until dusk, the busy bees will hum around and climb into the pretty pale purple flowers to forage pollen and nectar.
Phacelia is an annual herb (lives for one season), with clustered flowers. This plant grows approx. 1 metre high (that's about 40 inches). Sow 1cm deep into the soil of your plot.
Calendula
Calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) is also commonly known as 'pot marigold', 'wild marigold' or 'field marigold' and comes in all kinds of shades of yellow and orange. There are about 20 different varieties of this wildflower. Pollinators love this almost all-season flowering superstar. It can blossom as early as March and even attract bees late into the autumn, as late as October/November. Another bonus: The flower petals are edible also for us humans and Calendula often used as a medicinal herb. If you choose to grow this flower, you can add the petals to your salads or smoothies and pimp up cakes and breakfast bowls.
Calendula is an annual or biannual wild herb that can survive mild winters. The flower heads can reach a diameter of up to 7cm, and the whole plant will grow approx. 20 - 50cm high, depending on the variety. Sow 1cm deep into the soil of your plot.
Cornflower
Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus L.) are annual wildflowers and come in all kinds of shades of intense blue, purple, red, pink and white. These stunning plants bloom all summer long, their petals are edible and can be added to smoothies or salads.
The cornflower got its name because it used to grow as a weed in corn fields. Due to the agricultural practice of using herbicides, the cornflower now sadly loses more and more of its' natural habitat and is therefore endangered.
Depending on the variety, this wildflower grows between 40 - 90cm tall. The planted seeds germinate quickly and need to be watered regularly during the germination process. Sow 1cm deep into the soil of your plot.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum L.) is an annual plant that grows in around 80 different varieties, one more beautiful than the others. It grows in all kinds of colours, from dark red to black velvet, salmon coloured or in variegated shades of rosé, but mainly in intensely bright shades of orange, red and yellow. Pollinators are all over them, and also us humans love using this gorgeous, edible medicinal herb. Both flowers and leaves, as well as the freshly picked, green, undried seeds are edible and can spice up your meals. Be warned, though, because the Nasturtium seeds are indeed a little bit spicy...
Fun fact: This plant is greatly beneficial for gardeners in many more ways, because it not only attracts insects but can also repel garden pests, that usually would invade the vegetable patch. It's a powerful organic and sustainable weapon against the cabbage white butterfly grubs, for example, that love snacking nasturtiums and let themselves be lured away from other veg in the garden if this scrumptious herb is the alternative.
Nasturtiums flowers all summer long and can trail very far if left untrimmed. They can even climb up garden shed walls like in the Confetti Gardens herb plot, as you can see in the picture.
Borage
Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is the star of all wildflowers (yep, it's also called star-flower) and is an annual wildflower that blossoms in all kinds of shades of intense blue, pink and pale pastel purple. Sometimes all those colours can be found on the same plant. Borage blooms all summer long and its flowers and leaves are edible. Both taste a little bit like cucumber and can be added to smoothies, soups or salads.
Borage self-seeds every year and attracts many bees and other pollinators.
The plant grows between 40 - 100cm tall and can also be used as a medicinal herb.
Sunflower
The sunflower (Helianthus L.) is typically an annual plant, but among its 70 different varieties, some types grow as perennials. Perennials are plants that can live for several years and that come back in the garden even after a long winter. Most sunflower varieties are yellow, but some also grow in darker shades of orange, red and light brown. Bees and other pollinators absolutely love it, and if you have space in the garden this one is an absolute must-have! Both sunflower seeds and petals are edible.
Depending on the variety, the plant can grow between 1,20m - 5m high, gentle giants! Usually sunflowers bloom between the late summer months of August until early autumn. An especially impressive sight is when the plant tilts its face into the light, moving with the sun. They face different directions morning and night! If you refrain from cutting back the sunflower heads, the seeds will be snacked by birds over the autumn and winter.
