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Warwickshire, United Kingdom

I have 2 questions please,

1) How beneficial are poppies for pollinators/wildlife?

2) Does anybody know where I could find the white and pink variation of bluebells?




Answers

 

Single poppies are good for pollinators, double ones not so much.
It is the Spanish bluebells which come in white and pink Though native ones can be white. Any bulb seller would have them at the correct time of year.
Try Walkers Bulbs or Farmer Gracy.

11 May, 2022

 

Thank you Owdboggy :) I will try get some natives as I already have a couple of native blues.

11 May, 2022

 

Poppies are brilliant for pollen but they need to be singles, as the extra petals in semi / doubles often dont have pollen.

As Owd says you will be able to buy bluebells but choose a company that ethically sources them please. I remember seeing a pink colony in Finchale Abbey woods [Co Durham] in the 60's. But didn't know if they were native. According to the woodland trust there are occasionally white and pink forms. Not sure if you'd get the rare pink forms though.

11 May, 2022

 

My single poppies (herabaceous and annuals) only last a very short time. The bees get 'drunk' in them.
I've seen the white bluebells on sale in Cornwall (!) and the blue ones in certain supermarkets here.

12 May, 2022

 

Thank you both. I seen blackcurrant fizz that I was thinking of getting as I’d like to start to introduce a few to the garden and the bluebells are a tribute to my mum.

I certainly will Seaburngirl :) thanks for the info, I will just keep checking and ask local garden centres.

I bet they look beautiful though Ange. Oh wow, I envisioned a bloke in a bee suit stumbling around when you said that lol. Thank you :)

12 May, 2022

 

Welsh poppies are loved by pollinators and are self-seeders.
They brighten the garden too.
I've found that some of the 'native' bluebells Ive received are definitely not native. They still look beautiful in clusters.

12 May, 2022

 

The native bulbs I bought 6 years ago are in fact hybrids but still pretty. A good supplier normally, so I was a little disappointed.

12 May, 2022

 

Are they the orange ones Merlinbabydog?

That’s the problem now days they just care about profit and not their reputation as a company which would probably draw more customers in than not.

I think I may have some yellow single poppies growing in a pot. I do hope so they are a nice pale yellow.

13 May, 2022

 

They sound lovely. Must be something to do with the soil perhaps with change of colour or are they known for that.

13 May, 2022

 

The white and pink bluebells are quite unusual in the wild if you are after English ones. If you go for the Spanish ones remember that they interbreed with the natives and you can end up with a lot of half and half ones. Don't plant Spanish anywhere wild bluebells as gradually the Spanish will tend to take over. I have watched it happen on the bank just outside our garden and its such a shame.

13 May, 2022

 

Thank you Steragram, I definitely would like the Native ones, I wouldn’t want that to happen My mum favoured the Native ones so that’s what it will have to be :)

13 May, 2022

How do I say thanks?

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