Very few people are neutral when it comes to certain native
plants, (or weeds as they are often known as), especially the more robust and
common types such as Dandelions and Thistles and I certainly don’t want them in
my vegetable or flower beds. However they along with a few other native plants
form the most important natural source of nutrition for many of our
butterflies, bees, hoverflies and other flying insects growing as they do in a
vast range of different habitats and are worth a second thought before trying
to chop them down or poison them at every opportunity as is sadly the case in
an increasingly tidy and over managed landscape here in France.
Of course I don’t expect for one minute that anyone will
suddenly think “Oh, I must grow some thistles or sow a dandelion patch” especially
if they live in an urban environment or in very close proximity to their
neighbours but I would like to encourage anyone with some land or with larger
gardens to leave a few thistles and to perhaps let dandelions flower for a
while just to see for themselves just how beneficial they are and how many
different creatures use them.
I also leave the seed heads to stand on all the plants in
our fields which provide food for seed eating insects and birds throughout the
autumn and winter months as well as providing a depth of ground cover for the
birds that require it.
With this in mind I've compiled a simple web page with some
photos of thistles and insects that have been mainly taken on our land. CLICK HERE
Chris
