Woodlodge taps into trend for wildlife gardening with expansion of its Bee Kind range of containers
Published: 2 October 2020 - Sarah Mead
As public concern escalates over global pollinator decline and gardeners seek to transform their plots into wildlife- friendly havens, Woodlodge is extending its popular Bee Kind range of containers to draw attention to the plight of much-loved but endangered insects.
The Bee Kind range launched in 2019 amid growing concern over world-wide bumblebee decline, featuring cheerful images of bees and all designed to enhance sales of containers for attracting insects that play a critical role in pollinating flowers, fruit and vegetables. Woodlodge proudly supports Bumblebee Conservation, the charity with a mission to increase the number and distribution of bumblebees. Now, following the success of Bee Kind in its initial year, the line-up will broaden its scope for 2021 to feature eye-catching butterfly and ladybird designs, widening the brand’s appeal to consumers who are keen to garden in a manner that benefits a greater range of beneficial wildlife.
Bee Kind will continue with its mission to highlight concerns over bee decline in the new season with bold honeycomb designs added to the 2021 range. According to a BBC report, bees pollinate 70 of 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world, with honey bees alone being responsible for $30billion a year worth of crops. Woodlodge’s Bee Kind range launched at a time when Friends of the Earth claimed that nearly one in 10 of Europe’s wild bee species are facing extinction while 13 species of bee have been lost since 1900 – with the conservation group warning that a world without bees would hit UK farmers with a bill of £1.8billion a year to pollinate crops, ramping up the cost of food.
Michael Wooldridge, Managing Director at Woodlodge, said: “Wildlife gardening was high on the consumer agenda long before Covid-19 but the pandemic and unprecedented environmental benefits brought by lockdowns across the globe has only served to heighten interest in protecting the environment and reversing the decline in pollinators that play a pivotal role in ecosystems. The expansion of Woodlodge’s Bee Kind range for 2021 will throw the spotlight on the plight of the UK’s much-loved beneficial insects which will not only help retailers to expand sales of pots and containers but, along with high impact point-of-sale materials, will champion pollinator-friendly planting, driving sales of plants that provide essential sources of nectar and pollen for insects by inspiring consumers to play their part in reversing pollinator decline by creating rich wildlife habitats in their gardens.”
Bee Kind – new butterfly designs for 2021
The new Butterfly Mix range of pots in Woodlodge’s Bee Kind range enhances the range’s sales appeal by throwing the spotlight onto one of the most cherished sights in UK gardens during the warmer months, featuring butterfly motifs in shades of pink, turquoise and yellow on premium quality containers. According to reports, populations of butterflies that do not fly far from their favourite habitats have plummeted by 77% since 1976, while species that are capable of travelling further afield and adapting to landscapes have still declined by 46% over the same period.
With butterfly populations regarded as a barometer of the health of the environment, the charity Butterfly Conservation says that restoring butterfly populations in UK gardens and green spaces is likely to bring “substantial benefits” to innumerable other species and also to the health and wellbeing of the human population. Woodlodge’s Butterfly Mix pots, with the fluttering insects represented in green, grey and white designs, also hold high appeal for driving sales of plants that are proven to attract butterflies to gardens, such as lavender, majoram, verbena and compact varieties of buddleia.
Throwing a lifeline to ladybirds
The introduction of the Ladybird Mix of pots will widen the scope of Woodlodge’s Bee Kind portfolio, with orange, red and yellow ladybird characters raising the profile of one most beneficial pest-eating insects to visit UK gardens, while inspiring linked sales of ladybird-friendly flowers and herbs such as calendula, cosmos, marigolds, nasturtium, chives and parsley.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, there are more than 40 species of ladybirds in the UK, known for their ferocious appetite for devouring common garden plant-wreckers such as aphids and scale insects. Attracting ladybirds is a high priority for the nation’s growing band of organic gardeners, who rely on the beetles to rid flowers, fruit and veg of pests – eliminating the need to resort to chemical insecticides. The cheery ladybird designs on Woodlodge’s Ladybird Mix of pots has been tailored to generate additional purchases of containers – even if consumers are unaware of the mission to help pollinators, the pots’ high visual appeal will still help stockists to expand category sales while supporting the work of conservation projects.
To find out more about Woodlodge’s expanded Bee Kind range for 2021, visit www.woodlodge.co.uk