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Animals and insects don't see colour in the same way humans do.

You might already know that dogs have a much duller perception of the world, but what about visitors to your garden? Let’s take a look at the kind of plants you can introduce to your garden to attract more birds, bees and butterflies.

 

Bees

Bees can see blue, green and ultraviolet light but they can’t see red. Some flowers though have evolved to attract bees and contain a blue halo which draws bees towards the pollen. Other flowers have ultraviolet nectar guides, which are invisible to our eyes but are attractive to bees. Ivy, mint, chives, foxgloves, bluebell, honeysuckle and dandelions are all bee-friendly.

A lot of yellow flowers are attractive to bees as they look great in ultraviolet light. If you choose to plant blue or green flowers, make sure they don’t have excessive petals and that the pollen can be easily accessed.

 

Birds

Just like bees, birds can see ultraviolet light and so the colour appears differently. The colours that attract birds vary between species. Some may be attracted to a colour similar to their own plumage as this could suggest a potential mate, but mostly bright colours that attract insects will also attract birds too.

Make sure the colour you use is easy to see too. If it’s hidden amongst a bush or shaded by a tree, it won’t be visible to birds.

 

Butterflies

Adult butterflies are attracted to white, red, yellow, orange, pink and purple but dislike blue and green. They also prefer to feed in the sun so make sure that your flowers are getting enough sunshine to attract butterflies.

Plants with loads of deep flowers that are abundant in nectar will be the most attractive to butterflies.

But, you can’t have butterflies without caterpillars, so plants that attract them are great too. Ivy, nettles and buckthorn are all havens for caterpillars, but before you make a choice, check which are local to your area to get a better idea.

Flowers aren’t the only way to introduce creature-attracting colours to your garden. Our range of exterior paints are durable and weatherproof, so your garden can look smart all year around.