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taste of what life was like before we built on the land. Green roofs on our sheds and bird tables don't provide such 'wild' habitats, but they do offer an additional source of pollen and nectar, as well as nesting opportunities.There are other advantages

and cherry laurel, but against one hoarding is a mass of ivy and it’s still in flower.Ivy is a very important late nectar source for all sorts. The bush is ablaze and abuzz with insects. Twenty or more red admirals and small tortoiseshells vie with countless

bumblebees. With an ample supply of fruit blossom around, there is plenty of nectar and pollen for them to enjoy, and all are welcome.One good thing about growing a single 'Victoria' plum tree is that it’s self-fertile. Unlike many varieties of fruit, like

. They're reliable and trouble-free plants.Phlox paniculataFor a zing of blood-orange, there's little to beat heleniums, whose daisy-like flowers are loved by bees for their nectar. After flowering, the seedheads are attractive well into autumn

, but the fact that some do could pose a problem for insects if those plants replace native wild ones.Patches of the canal near where I live have been guerrilla planted with bee-friendly teasel, viper’s bugloss and borage, all amongst long grass so a nectar

exclusively for wildlife. Building the garden from scratch, I was able to choose the best nectar- and pollen-rich plants for insects, put in a pond for my frogs (it's in a tin bath but it still has different depths and a variety of native plants), a compost