The RHS writes: "We care passionately about a healthy future for our bees and other pollinators, which is why we created the 'Perfect for Pollinators' logo – to help people select the best plants to support these important insects.

However, we have been reviewing this initiative following a study of UK garden centre plants, which revealed that some plants carrying the pollinator friendly label contained traces of pesticides."

The RHS admits that it cannot monitor the way in which each individual plant is grown across the country's garden centres. "We are a charity and cannot possibly police how hundreds of thousands of plants are grown within the horticultural trade, in the UK and across Europe, before the point of sale. We are, therefore, considering the future of the logo and whether we should withdraw it from the market."

"We need more time to continue to explore options for the 'Perfect for Pollinators' logo to make the best decision for our precious bees and other pollinators. We want to continue to promote the planting of flowering plants for bees and other pollinators and are working towards the best route to do this practically."

Garden Organic recommends these top ten plants as being helpful to pollinators and other beneficial insects:

Buddleja, comfrey, cowslip, common poppy, cornflower, fennel, foxglove, forget-me-not, greater knapweed, ivy, and lavender.

Certain weeds are also helpful - such as thistle and dandelion - the latter providing an important source of nectar early in the year for insects.

Further reading

Discover seven of the best beneficial insects for your garden, and how to attract them
Learn how to grow flowers the organic way
See here for information on neonicotinoids (neonics) and the damage they cause to bees and other insects