A wildlife-friendly gardening competition sponsored by The Gardens Group will add weight to Defra’s national pollinator strategy this summer.

Judges of this year’s competition, which is organised by Dorset Wildlife Trust,  will give extra credit to entrants who create a particularly inviting haven for pollinating insects.

The annual competition champions Dorset gardeners who attract wildlife, no matter what the size of their space. This year judges will be looking out for nectar-rich plants, bee houses, log piles and other special habitats, as well as a record of the pollinators that visit the garden.

The winning gardens will be announced in July at Castle Gardens Sherborne, when Dr David Aplin, director of Botanical Values, will give a talk on the weird and wonderful world of plants that partner with other organisms.

Joy Wallis, community conservation officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “Gardens are often far less toxic to insects than the intensively farmed countryside, and we want to encourage all gardeners to think of their gardens as havens for pollinating insects.”

Mike Burks, MD of The Gardens Group added: “Pollinators are extremely important for maintaining biodiversity and also in supporting food production. Thankfully you don’t need a huge garden to create a wildlife haven, that’s why we have different categories for garden size and even for community spaces.”

Picture: Honey Bee by Ken Dolbear MBE