THIS summer Transition Chepstow is sponsoring a competition with a difference in the Horticulture Section at Chepstow Show on Saturday 13th August at Chepstow Racecourse.

The challenge is to plant a container with flowers which are not only beautiful but are also attractive to the pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies which are so important for our food supply.

With the competition date closing in fast now is the perfect time for entrants to start planning and planting their containers.

Pollinator-friendly plants are those which are rich in nectar and have open flowers so that the nectar can be accessed easily.

They include many common bedding plants such as pot marigolds (calendula), nasturtium, cornflower, alyssum and trailing lobelia, as well as herbs and other perennials like sages, thymes and lavender, heathers and catmint.

Many popular bedding plants, especially those with double flowers, do not attract bees but it is easy to buy seeds or plants with the RHS’s Perfect for Pollinator logo – or look at your own garden, Transition Chepstow’s town centre planters, or Monmouthshire County Council’s bee-friendly planting displays to see what’s buzzing.

Planters should have a maximum size of 18 inches and there is an entry fee of 50p. Full details are available on the Chepstow show website at www.chepstowshow.co.uk/competitors/horticulture/

The website also contains a list of suggested pollinator-friendly plants produced by Transition Chepstow.