The Pollinator Patch

Oakington Garden Centre, a  family-run nursery based in the village of Oakington on the outskirts of Cambridge, created a mini garden to champion pollinators for the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge: Blooming Numbers exhibit at the RHS Flower Show 2025.

The garden was not only beautful, it was designed to illustrate how even a tiny space can provide pollinators with food, shelter and nesting resources throughout the year - and most importantly - a safe source of water for insects.

Sainsbury Laboratory exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 featuring a shallow water feature shaped as the end of a Fibonacci spiral, with flowing water and large cobblestones inspired by the River Cam, surrounded by colourful pollinator-friendly flowers and an insect hotel.

View across The Pollinator Patch in the Great Pavillion of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Photo by Jacqueline Garget.

The Pollinator Patch plant list

By Oakington Garden Centre

  • Bellis perennis (Lawn Daisy)
  • Bidens aurea (Tickseed)
  • Bidens ferulifolia ‘Sun Drop’ (Tickseed)
  • Calendula officinalis ‘Sunset Buff’ (Pot Marigold)
  • Cerinthe major purpurascens (Honeywort)
  • Consolida ambigua ‘Fancy Belladonna’ (Larkspur)
  • Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)
  • Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)
  • Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Stallone’ (Mexican Fleabane)
  • Geranium × johnsonii ‘Johnson’s Blue’ (Cranesbill)
  • Geum avens ‘Totally Tangerine’
  • Hesperis matronalis (Sweet Rocket)
  • Luna annuaria (Honesty)
  • Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose)
  • Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Electric Blue’
  • Phacelia tanacetifolia (Scorpionweed)
  • Salvia × sylvestris ‘Marvel Dark Blue’
  • Salvia × sylvestris ‘Marvel Rose’
  • Salvia greggii ‘Amethyst Lips’
  • Salvia nemorosa ‘Lyrical White’
  • Salvia pratensis ‘Fashionista Midnight Model'
  • Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (Pincushion Flower)
  • Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)
  • Trifolium pratense (Red Clover)
  • Vicia faba ‘Witkeim’ (Broad Bean)
  • Salix tortuosa
  • Festuca glauca (Blue Fescue)
  • Lagurus ovatus (Bunny Tails)
  • Setaria italica ‘Hylander’ (Foxtail Millet)
  • Zea mays ‘Fiesta’ ‘Early bird’ , ‘Earli king’ (Sweet corn)

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How these plants help pollinators and other wildlife

The Sainsbury Laboratory Pollinator Patch at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 featured a range of flowering plants and grasses selected to support bees, butterflies, hoverflies, moths, beetles and other pollinating insects.

Many of the plants provide nectar and pollen, while others offer shelter or food for caterpillars and other insect larvae.

Written by Oakington Garden Centre nursery manager Ali Chappell-Bates.

 

Bellis perennis (Lawn Daisy)

  • Open composite flowers provide easy landing platforms for insects. 
  • Produces nutrient-rich pollen and nectar. 
  • Long flowering season provides a reliable food source. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Bidens aurea (Tickseed)

  • Open composite flowers are accessible to pollinators. 
  • Rich source of nectar and pollen. 
  • Features a UV bullseye pattern visible under UV light. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, hoverflies and beetles. 

Bidens ferulifolia ‘Sun Drop’ (Tickseed)

  • Attracts predatory insects that help control pest populations. 

Calendula officinalis ‘Sunset Buff’ (Pot Marigold)

  • Open flowers are easy for insects to access. 
  • Provides nutrient-rich pollen and nectar. 
  • Long flowering season supports pollinators over time. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, hoverflies and beetles. 

Cerinthe major purpurascens (Honeywort)

  • Produces nectar and pollen valued by pollinators. 
  • Supports bees and other insects. 

Consolida ambigua ‘Fancy Belladonna’ (Larkspur)

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Daucus carota (Wild Carrot)

  • Foliage provides food for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies. 

Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Particularly attractive to bumblebees, bees and hoverflies. 

Digitalis purpurea ‘Apricot Delight’ (Foxglove)

  • Produces nectar and pollen for pollinating insects. 

Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Stallone’ (Mexican Fleabane)

  • Open flowers are accessible to insects. 
  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Flowers over a long period. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, hoverflies and beetles. 

Geranium × johnsonii ‘Johnson’s Blue’ (Cranesbill)

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Blue flowers are highly visible to bees. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Geum avens ‘Totally Tangerine’

  • Provides food, shelter and nourishment for pollinators. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and beetles. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Hesperis matronalis (Sweet Rocket)

  • Provides food, shelter and nourishment for pollinators. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and beetles. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Lunaria annua (Honesty)

  • Provides food, shelter and nourishment for pollinators. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and beetles. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose)

  • Good nectar source for insects active at night. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and beetles. 

Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Electric Blue’

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, hoverflies and beetles. 

Phacelia tanacetifolia (Scorpionweed)

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Long flowering period provides a reliable food source. 
  • Particularly attractive to many bee species. 
  • Also attracts predatory insects that help control pests. 

Salvia × sylvestris ‘Marvel Dark Blue’

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Salvia × sylvestris ‘Marvel Rose’

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Salvia greggii ‘Amethyst Lips’

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Salvia nemorosa ‘Lyrical White’

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Salvia pratensis ‘Fashionista Midnight Model’

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (Pincushion Flower)

  • Open flowers provide easy access for insects. 
  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)

  • Open flowers are accessible to insects. 
  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Flowers early and late in the season, providing an important food source. 
  • Supports bees, butterflies and hoverflies. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Trifolium pratense (Red Clover)

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Long flowering period provides a reliable food source. 
  • Supports bees and hoverflies. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Vicia faba ‘Witkiem’ (Broad Bean)

  • Produces nectar and pollen. 
  • Supports bees and hoverflies. 

Salix tortuosa

  • Foliage provides food for caterpillars. 

Festuca glauca (Blue Fescue)

  • Provides shelter for pollinators. 
  • Provides food for Gatekeeper butterfly caterpillars. 

Lagurus ovatus (Bunny Tails)

  • Provides shelter for pollinators. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Setaria italica ‘Hylander’ (Foxtail Millet)

  • Provides shelter for pollinators. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars. 

Zea mays ‘Fiesta’, ‘Early Bird’, ‘Earli King’ (Sweet Corn)

  • Provides shelter for pollinators. 
  • Provides food for caterpillars.