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Due to rapid and disastrous climate change, in recent years it has become increasingly difficult to grow new flower meadows. On one hand, periods of drought prevent the seeds from germinating. On the other hand, storms that are often only short but too violent can wash away a great deal of soil together with germinating seeds.

A thorough evaluation of areas – such as monotonous green spaces or wasteland – which you wish to revitalise as flowering areas is therefore absolutely necessary. Our questionnaire, which you can download and fill in, is meant to help you with this.

Tips for flower meadows

Insect-friendly plants grow well in soil that is poor in nutrients. If necessary, sand should be mixed into the soil. In a quiet corner of the garden, plant an appropriate selection of garden plants and wild plants. Nibbled leaves will not do any harm there, but show that insects live there that are now often threatened by extinction.

Recommendations for your environment

If you cannot transform your own spaces, we recommend that you should nonetheless start taking action in your neighbourhood. This website contains many suggestions on how you can motivate the owner of the apartment building where you live or the management of the company where you work to transform outdoor spaces from dull lawns into colourful flowering areas. Get involved when it comes to public spaces, the verges of tram lines and sports facilities, school playgrounds, kindergartens!

Many ideal sites for small insect and butterfly gardens are still unused. Even undemanding wildflowers and herbs in pots and containers on sealed surfaces and balconies are attractive for butterflies. Water tanks at the bottom of the containers significantly reduce the work required for watering. Thus, many bleak corners can still be revitalised by simple shrubs or summer flowers being sown.

Surviving in winter

Some moths overwinter in cellars or attics, but also outdoors, e.g., in walls covered in dense ivy or other climbing plants on the house wall. If possible, build up piles of stones and brushwood for overwintering in a quiet spot in the garden.

In March 2020, shortly before the Corona crisis we organised an event in the Southern district of Nuremberg in association with Bund Naturschutz (the German section of Friends of the Earth International), Einkorn association (small local non-commercial eco initiative), AWO (workers' welfare organisation) and a great number of volunteers. In a convivial atmosphere visitors were able to experience a stimulating mixture of historic information and practical advice. In these still rather green southern districts there are many private gardens as well as brownfield sites which can easily be transformed.

Information brochures and little bags of seed at the entrance

Illustrated lectures

Attentive audience

Venue in two colourfully decorated rooms

Buffet with generous selection of dishes

Merianin winter cake

Margot Lölhöffel took on the role of Maria Sibylla Merian during an animated "interview". Many fellow citizens did not know that this famous researcher, artist and book illustrator lived with her family in Nuremberg for some time where she tended her small garden and kept many insects and caterpillars in her home. Margot also provided an insight into Maria Sibylla Merian's everyday life: her chances for developing their own individual potential in Nuremberg, "a city of gardens" at that time, her ability to assert herself as a sometime single parent and a female artist, and her extensive travels through Suriname at the end of the 17th century.

For a number of years our historic patron has been representing a regional project alliance whose aim is the promotion of urban rewilding initiatives. At the public event on 20th March 2020, detailed information was available about some of these initiatives, eg the City of Nuremberg's “InsektenReich“ (Insect-Kingdom) project, or the “Sandachse“ (Sand-dunes Nature Reserve) partly maintained by BUND Naturschutz. In addition, there was a "Herbs and Wild Plants Swap Shop", and visitors were given ideas for domestic gardens under the theme of "New ideals of beauty – authentic and wild instead of decorative and exotic."

In his presentation, Stefan Mümmler, a renowned environmental educationist and insect expert, provided some practical advice. Here is a short summary:

• Only very few insects have to rely on "bee hotels". It is more important to provide open ground and a suitable selection of plants. For example, many butterflies have specific needs, that is to say that they need several specific plants for their development: for laying eggs, to feed the caterpillars, and to provide nectar for the hatched butterflies.
• It is important to provide variety of flower species. Chose native wild herbs suitable to particular soils and climates, e.g. simple, open-shaped varieties which are suitable for the poor soil found in the Southern part of Nuremberg, to which no organic matter has been added. If commercially available seed mixtures are used it is important to check the varieties and their suitability for different light conditions (full sun, partial shade).
• Wild hedges and trees with many blossoms (fruit trees, willow, hawthorn) are very beneficial.
• Don't forget to add early flowering plants: provide plenty of spring flowering bulbs, winter aconite, and allow early wild herbs (formerly called "weeds") to spread.
• Leave some perennial shrubs and nettles after flowering over the winter season.
• "Insect hotels" only work if they are protected from the weather, are easily accessible, and South facing. Holes drilled into wood may have to be smoothed with a file to prevent injuries to insects. It may also be necessary to use wire mesh as a protection from greedy birds.
• You can also hang up horizontally bundles of reeds (or other hollow plant stems, or commercially available small cardboard tubes) with a diameter of 2-9mm and cut to a suitable length. Eggs are usually deposited one behind the other.
• Provide water in a large bowl or basin and top up regularly.
• On sandy areas you can provide open ground for mining bees, or leave bare soil under large trees in your garden.
• Deadwood (especially oak) should be left to rot down to provide a "nursery" for insects.
• Piles of stones provide hiding places and a winter habitat.
• Many of the above suggestions are suitable for small spaces, e.g. balconies. Herbs are easy to grow in pots and planters and help create symbolic and actual green axis.

Last but not least, the mystery of the "Merianin Cake" was solved at the cake buffet. In her acclaimed book about insects in Suriname, Maria Sibylla Merian describes the taste of pineapple, unknown at the time in Europe: "This fruit tastes like a mixture of grapes, apricots, black currants, apples and pears. The taste is delightful and strong. Once it has been cut its scent fills the entire room." Margot Lölhöffel used these 5 types of fruit to create a tasty cake which she offered to the visitors.

So why not invite your neighbourhood to hands on campaigns and activities? We look forward to receive photographs and reports about your own events on the topics described above.

Monika Krumbach

Insect houses - large and small

Example worth imitating: shallow bowls with insect-friendly houseleek and wall pepper

Insect-friendly plants to take home

Nice project for younger children: "raised-bed" made of old flower pots, painted with acrylic paint

Children’s corner for colouring drawings