Gardening expert shares 10 pretty flowers that attract bees to your garden

When picturing wildlife-friendly gardens, the chances are you imagine buzzing bees darting between the flowers. And rightly so, because these tireless workers pollinate roughly 75% of the world's major food crops.

In the UK, we have more than 270 species of bees, yet many are in steep decline. So there's no better time to find ways to support these pollinators in your garden.

One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to help is by planting flowers that are richin nectar and pollen. Go for open-centred varieties like single dahlias, echinacea, heleniums, and hardy geraniums. Double blooms are more difficult for bees to access.
Bees see colours differently from us, being particularly drawn to blue and purple shades. This makes plants like salvia, lavender, buddleja and globe thistle (Echinops) real crowd-pleasers.

And remember, your garden doesn't need to be tidy. Leave some areas of your lawn to go wild with daisies, clover, and more.
This can be a big boost to nectar availability.

A healthy bee population needs shelter as well as food. Solitary bees nest in bare soil, old wood, and even cracks in masonry.
Make space for them by leaving wild patches in the garden, piling up logs, or creating your own bee hotel.

Use hollow stems from bamboo or teasel, or drill holes in untreated wood. They should be about 4mm to 6mm wide. Mount it in a sunny, dry spot to welcome new residents.

Wildflower areas, even in containers, can become pollinator hotspots. Pre-mixed seed packs can make sowing easy. A small patch of diverse blooms can support a remarkable range of bee species. I grew a wildflower area in my garden to support pollinators. You can see it at my YouTube channel,@daviddomoney.

Pesticides and herbicides can harm more than they help. Choose organic alternatives, like introducing natural predators like ladybirds and lacewings, to tackle pests.

You can also consider plants which act as pest deterrents. Lavender is great at deterring aphids and flea beetles. The strong scent of marigolds repels whitefly, and garlic is great for keeping slugs and snails at bay.

Put a shallow dish of water filled with pebbles somewhere safe for the bees to drink. Refill regularly, especially in hot spells.

The invasive Asian hornet preys on honeybees. Report sightings via asianhornetalert.org.ukor the British Beekeepers Association. Look for a black body, orange face, yellow-tipped legs and yellow band on the abdomen. Slightly larger than a wasp, they often hover near hives.

Never disturba nest, and report with a photo if safe. Helping bees is great for your garden and the environment. You'll notice more frequent visitors, and your garden will be buzzing with life.

1. Harvest courgettes when they're about 10 to 15 centimetres long. At this size, they're firm, flavourful, and perfect for cooking. Picking them every few days prevents oversized fruits from forming and encourages the plant to continue producing fresh courgettes throughoutthe summer.

2. Check potatoes and tomatoes regularly for signs of blight. Warm, humid weather increases the risk. Keep an eye out for dark patches on leaves and stems, and remove any affected parts immediately. Avoid composting them - instead, dispose of them through garden waste to reduce the chance of spread.

3. Redcurrants should be ripe for picking now. Harvest once the berries are firm, bright and evenly coloured. Use scissors to cut full trusses to avoid damaging the fruit. Protect the crop with netting if birds have been pinching them, checking the netting regularly.

4. Trim back alpines once flowering has finished to stop them getting leggy. Snip away the faded blooms and any straggly stems to encourage more tidy, compact growth. Clean up dead leaves and refresh the gravel around plants to keep them healthy and attractive into the next season.

5. Plant strawberry runners intowell-prepared soil. Use only healthy, rooted offshoots and space them to allow good airflow. Water in well and remove weeds. These plants will settle in nicely and provide fruit the following growing season. Learn more about strawberry runners at my YouTube channel, @daviddomoney

For bold summer impact, nothing beats hydrangeas. Their large, showy flower heads bring softness and structure to borders just as the garden reaches its peak. July is a standout month for many types, especially big leaf hydrangeas like mopheads and lacecaps.

Their blooms often change colour depending on the soil pH, blue in acidic conditions, and pink when alkaline. Sometimes in the same garden. Hydrangeas have shallow roots and feel the heat, so watering is vital. Give them a thorough soak every few days in dry weather.

A mulch of compost or bark will help retain moisture and reduce stress. Now's a good time to remove spent blooms, but avoid major pruning. Most popular types, including macrophylla and serrata, flower on old wood, so cutting back too early risks next year's display. If space is limited, compact varieties like 'Little Lime' or 'Endless Summer' are ideal for pots or patios. With regular feeding, they may flower well into early autumn.

• Sansevieria, more commonly known as the snake plant, also goes by the name African bowstring hemp. This stems from its fibrous leaves, which were once harvested and used to make durable bowstrings in parts of Africa.
• Gardening is more than a hobby. With about 27 million people in the UK regularly tending gardens, it beats participation in football, cycling, and fishing, to be one of the country's most popular leisure activities.

• Carrot cake gained widespread popularity in the Second World War when sugar was rationed. Carrots, rich in natural sugars, were grated into cakes for sweetness and moisture without needing as much refined sugar.
• Kent has been famous for cherries since Roman times. Its climate and fertile soils are ideal and recently cherry fairs have made a comeback to celebrate the harvest.

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