Planning to enjoy your garden to the full this year? Give it a new lease of life by choosing these insect-friendly plants that will turn your garden into a living paradise. These ten plants are not only a feast for the eyes, they will also attract countless bees and butterflies to your garden.

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)

This colourful climber is best planted in full sun or semi shade. It blooms from June to August and first produces colourful yellow-pink flowers, after which the honeysuckle grows berries. When you close your eyes, you can recognise honeysuckle by the wonderful scent it spreads on summer evenings. The plant attracts lots of bees and other insects.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)

This shrub is a fast grower and can grow up to 4 metres tall. The striking flower plumes bring colour to your garden from July to September. The butterfly bush loves a warm environment and likes full sun and semi shade. And as the name suggests, it will attract butterflies to your garden all summer long.

Lavender (Lavandula)

You probably know this plant. Lavender is characterized by gray-green leaves and blue-purple, long flowers that are visible from June to August. The flowers attract a lot of wild bees, bumblebees and butterflies because they come to collect nectar and pollen from these wonderfully smelling flowers.

Donkey ear (Stachys byzantina)

This fast-growing groundcover loves full sun and is a grey-purple bloomer from June to August. It grows best in dry soil and retains its velvety leaves all winter. The fragrant flowers attract many bees and butterflies to your garden in summer.

Globe thistle (Echinops ritro)

This ball-shaped flower is light blue and blooms all summer long: from July to September. The globe thistle is an exceptionally insect-friendly plant that is also a delight to the eye.

Autumn aster (Aster ageratoides)

This is probably the most beautiful flower among the insect-friendly plants. The purple oblong leaves and orange bud are the eye-catchers of your garden in late summer and autumn and attract dozens of bees and butterflies to your garden.

Holy rope (Eupatorium cannabinum)

This beautiful plant grows to a height of 30 to 170 centimetres and mainly grows in damp places, at water's edge. Holy Rope is therefore an ideal plant to place near your pond. In July, five or six spherical flowers with purple tips form and continue blooming until September. The flower produces a lot of nectar and in summer it will be the attraction for bees and butterflies in your insect-friendly garden.

Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Wild marjoram, also known as oregano, is a southern plant and is abundant in countries such as Italy and Greece. This perennial evergreen herb thrives best in calcium-rich soil, which, in fact, determines the flavour of the herb. The pink flowers attract many insects and for those who do not have a lawn but a city garden or balcony: oregano can also thrive in a pot.

Vervain (Verbena bonariensis)

This summer flower attracts, just like the butterfly bush, lots of bees and butterflies to your garden. The small purple flowers stand out and give your garden a real colour boost. Even more convenient: it will spread so profusely that you will have a full bush of flowers every year. An insect-friendly plant that is also very low-maintenance.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Just like vervain, foxglove almost self-sows so that you have a strong, colourful plant year after year. Foxglove likes moist soil and grows best in partial shade.

Is your favourite missing from this list of insect-friendly plants? Let us know via Facebook, Instagram or info@etikl.com and we will be happy to add it to the list. Are you crazy about wildlife? Check out our list of the best nature documentaries of all time.