Local or foreign plants?

No need to restrict yourself to growing British native plants as many garden varieties, including those native to other countries, are more ornamental and still highly appealing to our wild creatures, providing adult insects with food and shelter. These more decorative garden plants are often easier to grow from seed too - much wildflower seed is notoriously difficult to germinate. Also some unscrupulous suppliers harvest plants and bulbs from the wild instead of growing them in nurseries, so you could unwittingly aid in destroying valuable natural habitats.

With the right plants in your garden, the most obvious visitors will be hoverflies, butterflies, moths, and bees, with birds also taking an interest in insect eggs, caterpillars, and winged insects, along with seedheads and fruit. You may even see bats hunting at dusk.