Wild flowers, which grow in profusion without our help, are incredibly important. Sometimes they are called ‘weeds’ when they grow where we don’t want them, yet these humble, beautiful flowers are a vital link in the symbiotic web of life. Many insects, such as bees and butterflies, need flowers to survive and in turn, they pollinate the plants from which we harvest our food. Increasingly there is a call for people to partake of plant-based diets, and yet we poison and destroy the wild flowers, which are our best ‘pollination stations’.

There is a reason for every plant, animal and insect on this planet. When we destroy any of them, we create an imbalance. When planting vegetables, it is helpful to also plant flowers that bring insects to our garden. We need to find ways to grow and protect produce without using toxic, chemical pesticides.

My floral pollinator t-shirt range is produced by collaborative partner, doodlewear, a wonderful NZ artist collaboration.