Peter Dowdall: Grow native plants to create a biodiverse garden

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Native plants have co-evolved with local wildlife over centuries, providing essential food and habitat for native insects, birds, and mammals. Picture: iStock

We are probably all aware by now that using native plants in our gardens offers us many ecological and environmental benefits, contributing to the overall health and sustainability of our own, individual gardens but what exactly are those benefits?

Native plants have co-evolved with local wildlife over centuries, providing essential food and habitat for native insects, birds, and mammals. Both have adapted side by side and symbiotically over millennia. Flowers bloom at the same time as the insects which feed on them and in return pollinate them, are active.