Turn Your Garden into a Pollinator Paradise With Seedball
- Laurence Edwards
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
Turn Your Garden into a Pollinator Paradise With 3 Easy Steps
Did you know that honey bees can forage up to three miles from their hive, covering an area of more than 7,000 hectares in search of nectar and pollen? But just because bees can travel far doesn’t mean food is guaranteed.
The average UK garden is just 188 m² — and not all of it is planted with pollinator-friendly flowers. To meet the forage needs of a single hive — around one hectare (10,000 m²) of flowering plants — a beekeeper would need the equivalent of about 53 fully planted gardens. In reality, once you factor in decking, patios, lawns and other non-planted areas, it would take closer to 65–70 gardens working together to sustainably support one hive.
Keeping honey bees is a beautiful and rewarding act of stewardship — but it comes with responsibility. One hive requires access to around 10,000 m² of flowering plants during peak foraging season — that’s the size of two football pitches.
If we want to keep bees without harming native pollinators like bumblebees and solitary bees, we need to commit to building a sustainable pollinator paradise — one garden, hedge, flowering tree, climber and neighbour at a time.
Why More Forage Matters for Bees
In areas where there are too many hives but not enough forage, honey bees can outcompete native bees for pollen and nectar and its our job as beekeepers to ensure there is an ample supply for ALL pollinators!
Each honey bee colony can produce and consume up to 300 kg of honey per year, requiring nectar from millions of flowers. In fact, to make just one pound of honey, bees must visit around two million flowers!
The takeaway is clear: to support bees ethically, we need more flowers, more habitats, and a more diverse landscape. The good news? With a little creativity and collaboration, we can achieve this.
What to Plant — It’s Not Just Wildflowers At Seedball
Wildflowers
Wildflowers are one of the most effective ways to build dense, diverse habitat for all types of pollinators — not just honey bees.
At Seedball, we make it easy to plant wildflower meadows in your garden or local area using Seedballs — simple balls of clay, compost and seeds that protect young plants and improve germination.
For best results, use 20 Seedballs per square metre:
100 m² = 2,000 Seedballs
10,000 m² (1 hectare) = 200,000 Seedballs (approx. 6 million seeds)
👉 If you have 1 hectare of land, please get in touch with us at Seedball — we can offer a bespoke quote.👉 If you have access to school grounds or community land, we’d love to help — contact us to support your local pollinator planting projects.
Trees for Bees
Flowering trees provide a huge amount of nectar and pollen — and they take up surprisingly little space. That’s why beekeepers often keep hives in orchards. If you have the room, plant as many flowering trees as you can around the perimeter of your garden or land.
Top tree choices include:
Willow (early-season pollen), hawthorn, blackthorn
Fruit trees such as apple, cherry, plum
Lime trees — superb for summer nectar
Crab apple, field maple, and guelder rose
Just a few flowering trees can make a major difference in urban gardens and community spaces.
Hedgerows and Climbers
Native hedging offers structure, shelter, and multi-seasonal forage — it’s a perfect addition to any pollinator paradise.
Add climbers too — they can transform your garden vertically, creating nectar sources up fences, walls, and trees. Our neighbours have trained wisteria, ivy, and clematis to climb their trees — the result is both beautiful and buzzing with bees!
Try planting:
Hedges: hazel, dog rose, wayfaring tree, sweet briar rose
Climbers: honeysuckle, ivy, vetch, clematis
Structures: pergolas, trellises, arches
Think of your garden as a layered floral forest — with ground cover, mid-height plants, shrubs, climbers, and trees.
Rally Your Neighbourhood!
If you live in a city, a single garden alone won’t support a hive — but a whole street can.
If you’re considering keeping bees:
Talk to your neighbours — involve them in the planting
Share seeds, wildflowers, climbers, hedgerow plants, and planting tips
Encourage local schools and councils to plant hedgerows, flowering trees, and wildflower strips along roadsides and green spaces
Create a pollinator corridor — connect gardens, parks, and public spaces
Community planting creates collective abundance — and benefits all pollinators.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Pollinator Paradise with Seedballs
Calculate your space — use 20 Seedballs per square metre
Identify 1 hectare of land per hive — plan your pollinator planting
Sow in spring or autumn — Seedballs help establish healthy young plants
Add vertical layers — include trees, climbers, and hedges
Avoid pesticides — let nature work
Choose native wildflower mixes — all Seedball wildflower mixes are UK-sourced and native
Observe and celebrate — you’ll be amazed at the life that arrives!
Final Thoughts
Beekeeping is both a privilege and a responsibility. It should never come at the expense of wild pollinators and we must ensure we provide ample forage to enable all pollinators to thrive. Whether or not you choose to keep bees, you can still play a vital role in creating a healthier ecosystem. Because a healthy hive begins with a healthy landscape — and that begins with us.
👉 Explore wildflower planting options at https://seedball.co.uk.👉 For bespoke planting support for large spaces, schools, or community projects, contact Seedball here.
Ana & Em Seedball Founders
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