Attracting Bees.

[seasprout]

Early last year I decided to add lots more Bee attracting plants to my Garden, Plants such as More Scabious, Lavender, Sea-holly, Delphiniums and many more to mention.

Not a bed planted out, but more just dotted around the garden in space I could find.

Today whilst mooching in the Garden I identified 5 Species of Bee and 3 Species of Butterfly in the garden, one butterfly species (the Gate keeper) I have never seen in my garden before.


I am quite pleased with myself.!

Going to dig up more lawn this autumn and plant yet more nectar rich species, also pop in a small wildlife pond. Well thats the plan.

[BilboWaggins]

Gold stars for Seasprout!!!

[BumbleB]

Thats great. We have a large ground cover plant that the bees love. I am not sure what it is called as it was already here. It has grey green leaves and small purple flowers and not a great smell when picked. We have lots of butterlies as we have a large budlia.

[IgglePiggle]

Plant some Borage, bee's love it!

[seasprout]

Plants for Bees.

Flowers for bumblebees
March - April
Apple
Bluebell
Broom
Bugle
Cherry Erica carnea (heather)
Flowering Currant
Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
Pear
Plum Pussy Willow
Red dead-nettle
Rosemary
White dead-nettle
May - June
Alliums
Aquilegia
Birds-foot trefoil
Bugle
Bush vetch
Campanula
Ceanothus
Chives
Comfrey
Cotoneaster
Escallonia Everlasting Pea
Everlasting wallflower
Foxglove
Geranium
Honeysuckle
Kidney Vetch
Laburnum
Lupin
Monkshood
Poppies
Raspberries Red Campion
Roses (singles)
Sage
Salvia
Thyme
Tufted vetch
Meadow Cranesbill
White Clover
Wisteria
Woundwort
July - September
Black horehound
Borage
Bramble
Buddleia
Cardoon
Catmint
Cornflower
Delphinium
Heathers
Hollyhock
Hyssop Knapweed
Lavender
Lesser burdock
Marjoram
Mellilot
Mint
Penstemon
Phacelia
Polemonium
Purple loosestrife
Red bartsia Red clover
Rock-rose
Sainfoin
Scabious
Sea Holly
Snapdragons
St. Johns Wort
Sunflower
Teasel
Thistles
Viper’s bugloss

[vikkib]

That's superb Seasprout! Well done you it must be so rewarding to actually see the results of your thoughtfulness and hard work.

And that list is going to come in very handy... she says highlighting and reaching for 'ctrl' and 'c'

[BilboWaggins]

What a fabulous list - I could quite happily fill a garden just with all you have mentioned!

[timmyalex]

How spooky. I saw a beatiful butterfly at the weekend that i had never seen before and you produce a picture of it.!! Fantastic. I am growing 35 Lavender plants at present for planting out in the autumn with the idea of getting my first colony of honey bees this time next year. I have an apple orchard so bees would be extra beneficial.

[catbasket]

Flowers for bumblebees
<snip>

Thanks for that list - very useful. This RHS page has another useful list, sorted by type of plant rather than flowering time.

[teagunn]

I planted Borage this year and the bees are all over it! Bless them, I have a real soft spot for Bees.

[Lovage]

I get loads of bees and butterflies on my Oregano and it's useful and decorative too

Umbilifera flowers whilst not the most attractive are well loved by bees and hoverflies -includes Fennel, Dill -- & Lovage!

Does anyone else think the population of Bumble bees has increased - or does it just seem that way with fewer honey bees??

[seasprout]

The Bees in my Garden currently need waterproofs and stripey scarfs.

Quite cool out.!