Small Stories

Royal Entomological Society presents ‘Small Stories’ with Gardens Illustrated

Discovering the remarkable and valuable insects in your garden

Insects are vital to the ecosystems we rely on for survival, but many are suffering mass global decline. The Royal Entomological Society Garden, designed by Tom Massey and sponsored by Project Giving Back at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023, highlights how remarkable and valuable insects are, and their crucial role in our changing world. 

Our own gardens can also be a vital haven for many beneficial insects and offer perfect habitats and food sources for less attractive or welcome creatures. In this exclusive series, we’ll uncover the stories behind some of the common insects that thrive in the UK, many of which will have visited the Royal Entomological Society Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023 and when relocated to its permanent home at IQL Stratford.

Follow along with this exclusive series of small stories – featuring a profile of a different insect each month, encouraging study and exploration, insects up-close, and for you to think of your garden as a habitat and a ‘living laboratory’ to learn about insects. Release your inner child!

Click each image below to learn more about the featured insects in our Small Stories series, in partnership with Gardens Illustrated.

Read an introductory piece from Tom Massey where we were asked, “Why a garden for insects?”:  ‘If humans are to thrive on earth, we must learn about bugs’, published: April 24, 2023

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Seen an insect you want to identify? Send it in to our experts via our Identification help page. Once you know what it is, be sure to log it on iRecord.

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