Planting for Pollinators: Creating a Garden Haven

by Heather Angel

Overview

Planting for Pollinators is an easy-to-use gardening guide to help you encourage different types of insect pollinators into your garden.

Insect pollinators not only bring joy to our gardens, they also provide an essential service for our planet. Without bees, flies, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and beetles, some of our favourite foods, flowers and plants would cease to exist.

Whether you have a large garden, an urban balcony or just a window box, planting to encourage pollinators is a fantastic and surprisingly easy first step in creating a wildlife-friendly space. Planting for Pollinators features a wide range of plants, with guidance on the best ways to nurture lawns and verges, pollinator predation and tips on watching and photographing wildlife. Beautifully illustrated throughout with images from award-winning wildlife photographer Heather Angel, this essential guide will show you how plants communicate with insects, and why it's so important to protect our pollinators.

Organised by season and featuring more than 100 plant species – including bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs and climbers – this practical guide will help you to discover the short- and long-term benefits of having a variety of pollinators visit your garden.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399403023
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	655,872
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.65(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Heather Angel is an award-winning wildlife photographer and writer. She has a degree in Zoology, an MA in Marine Ecology and a passion for floral structure and pollination mechanisms. Heather tutors photo workshops, manages her image library – Natural Visions – and is a prolific writer. Her first book, Nature Photography: Its Art and Techniques, was published in 1972. Heather was President of the Royal Photographic Society and founder chair of the RPS Nature Group. She has been a Visiting Professor at Nottingham University since 1994. Major solo exhibitions of her work have been shown in London, India, China, Malaysia and Egypt.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Parts of a flower
What is pollination?
Types of pollination
Why pollinators and flowers need each other
How flowers communicate with pollinators
Rewards and pseudo-rewards
Looking at lawns
The decline of pollinators
Pollinator predation
Redressing the balance

Choosing Plants for Pollinators
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter

Watching pollinators
Daytime forays
Native versus alien flowers
Pollen load colours
Nocturnal sorties
Photo tips
Into the future

Glossary
Further reading and resources
Acknowledgements
Index

Editorial Reviews

I love this book, it's packed with gorgeous photos and practical advice, featuring my favourite plants and my favourite pollinators.” —Kate Bradbury, author of Wildlife Gardening

“I can fully recommend this book for its wealth of information and for highlighting the importance of pollinators for our planet's survival.” —Val Bourne, The Garden

“[A] beautiful and informative book that focuses on the fascinating relationship between plants and insects.” —The English Garden

“The author's photos and illustrations of flowers and insects make this book a delight to peruse for ideas.” —Library Journal

“If you want to create an abundant habitat for pollinators – and who doesn't – you will be inspired by this gorgeous new book... filled with stunning photos, the book provides insights and inspiration for transforming your garden, balcony or even a modest window box into a buzzing paradise for pollinators.” —Writers Voice

From the Publisher

07/14/2023

In this book on how plants attract and reward pollinators, award-winning wildlife photographer Angel (visiting prof., Nottingham Univ.; Pollination Power) writes from the perspective of a nature photographer monitoring garden insects throughout the year. This book is written for a British audience and climate, so readers in other areas will have to adjust their hardiness expectations accordingly. Any reader, however, will likely be inspired to investigate similar plant varieties in their own regions. While several short sections of the book center environmental issues, the heart of the book is about plants—including an engaging look at winter flowering varieties—and techniques more suitable for experienced gardeners who are familiar with choosing and caring for specialized plants. The author's photos and illustrations of flowers and insects make this book a delight to peruse for ideas. VERDICT For serious gardeners who understand the specifics of their region and want to improve their gardens to attract pollinators throughout the year.—Margaret Heller

Library Journal