Pledge now for pollinators

We'll be getting involved at the magazine, too - our team members have made individual pledges, as have our expert panellists. Find out about the pledges we've made this month, below, then make your own pledges by following the link provided.

Make your September pledge here.

Join us in our pledges

Pledge to leave fallen fruit, such as plums and apples, on the ground rather than clear them away. Some butterflies will feed on the juices of over-ripe windfalls, so they're a valuable food source in late summer.

Claire Gibbs, principal ecologist at Surrey Wildlife Trusts

• Make your garden butterfly friendly

July pledges

Pledge to take cuttings of bee-friendly plants to give to friends and neighbours, to spread nectar and pollen across the country, for as many bees as possible!

Kate Bradbury, Wildlife Editor

• How to take summer cuttings

Plant lots of cosmos and California poppies in pots – not only will they add a burst of colour, but they'll also help out any butterflies and bees visiting my flat's balcony this summer.

Lily Middleton, gardenersworld.com Editorial Assistant

• Best plants for city gardens

June pledges

Leave that sprawling patch of nettles at the end of the garden to its own devices. It’ll be perfect for egg-laying butterflies like small tortoiseshells. By the time I cut the nettles back in late summer to prevent them seeding, the first brood of caterpillars will have already developed.

Chris Thorogood, botanist at Oxford University Botanic Garden

• More about caterpillar plants

I’m going to add plants such as evening primrose, hebe, honeysuckle and buddleia that emit their scent in the evening. This should help moth populations and, as an added bonus, may also encourage bats looking for an insect meal.

Claire Gibbs, principal ecologist at Surrey Wildlife Trusts

May pledges

Leave some or all of your lawn unmown during May. Let the flowers bloom and then, at the end of the month, take part in our annual Every Flower Counts citizen science survey to find out how many bees your lawn can feed. Of course, the more you leave unmown and the more flowers you have, the more bees you’ll feed!

Dr Trevor Dines, botanist, Plantlife

• More about Plantlife's No Mow May

I’m going to grow another 10 types of pollinatorfriendly flowers in my garden – planted in blocks – to boost the menu on offer.

Adrian Thomas, Project Development Manager, RSPB

April pledges

If you didn't get around to taking the pledge to help pollinators in April, there's still time to act. Register your pledge below.

"Dandelions are often regarded as weeds, but I'll be leaving these gorgeous native wildflowers well alone, for they provide fantastic spring forage for hungry bees just emerged from hibernation. Deadhead them before the seeds release if you don't want more next year!"

Dave Goulson, entomologist

• Best plants for bees

"Lungwort, also known as pulmonaria, attracts the hairy-footed flower bee. So I'm going to plant some in my garden."

Emma Crawforth, Gardening Editor, BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

• Best pulmonaria to grow

"I'll be planting a new herb garden, with rosemary, marjoram, sage and thyme, as all are top pollinator plants, as well as chives, whose flowers are a magnet for the red-tailed bumblebee."

Brigit Howard, naturalist

• Top 10 herbs for wildlife

March pledges

If you didn't get around to taking the pledge to help pollinators in March, there's still time to act. Register your pledge below.

"I'll be sowing the free Pollinator Mix seeds that subscribers were given this month. They'll look great and are so easy - sow in gaps in borders or near your veg to boost crop pollination."

Emma Crawforth, Gardening Editor, BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

• Six Months of Seeds - How to sow your Pollinator Mix seeds
• Six Months of Seeds

"I'll add more caterpillar food plants. Why not do the same? Holly and ivy are great choices, and do leave a few nettles to thrive. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on these plants, as their caterpillars need to feed on them."

Kate Bradbury, Wildlife Editor, BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

• Garden wildlife identifier: caterpillars
• Caterpillar food plants

"I'll be sowing a nectar bar for bees, butterflies and hoverflies. I hope you can too - choose a sunny spot and scatter seeds of poppies, cornflowers, corn chamomile and corn marigolds."

Dr Trevor Dines, Botanist, Plantlife

• How to grow poppies
• 20 UK native wildflowers to grow

More on pollinators

Find out more about pollinators in our collection of practical projects and inspirational features.