What Plants do bees like?

[Madasafish]

Swarming is a natural bee instinct..every year April to early July.

They grow new queens and b#gger off before she hatches taking the old queen and half the hive.

That's the only way colonies (and hence bee numbers) can increase..

"About 40 million plus years of evolution" is a more succint answer :-)

[wellie]

Thanks for that.... I'm a tad wiser now.
Don't know where I'd find the time to keep bees like a lot of you do.
But I'm quite happy providing the plants that all the varying species feel at home coming to visit. And as Trousers and I were clearing the flowering Calabrese plants this evening, there were a goodly number of bees collecting the pollen from those yellow flowers too.

[Madasafish]

I work from home.. Work involves a LOT of waiting..So lots of time ..

[Madasafish]

There is a detailed book:Plants and Bees by Howe.. Elderly but good..
Free download ..

Plants And Beekeeping : Howes, F. N : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

[1jim]

we have an echinops in our front garden, its huge (was only small last year) and the heads have just turned white. The heads are literally covered in bees of all descriptions from morning to night, have never seen anything like it

[Storm]

Don't forget trees!!

Simply because of their size, trees can contribute a huge amount of nectar and some (like Lime) produce good honey. Buddleja is always a good choice in that it's easy to grow - I got mine from a pound shop and it's thriving.

Trees are also important as they have their flowers (blossom) in spring when there is not much else around. So blackthorn, apple etc. are all great. Sweet chestnut, if you have the space, is one of the best trees that there is.

bees love brassicas as well and fruit bushes (early flowerers too) so you can grow things that you can eat that are still beneficial to the bees as well as to your stomach and eyes

[Madasafish]

Trees? Lime, hawthron, all fruit trees, chestnut etc all provide pollen and or nectar. And ivy. And some hollies..

And so do some weeds. My bees are currently collecting the most beautiful dark blue/green pollen......it's from rosebaywillow herb...

[FoxHillGardener]

We went to Kew Gardens last weekend and there were absolutely loads of bees on giant echinops, leek flowers and lavender. I've left some of my leeks to flower so I hope I'll get the same response.
Earlier in the year my Welsh onions flowered and the bees loved those. I searched in my seed box and found some echinops seeds which I've now been inspired to sow. However the packet says the plants only get to 3 foot high. The ones at Kew were 6-7 feet tall. I will investigate to find out what type they are and try them too if I can find them

[Comfreyfan]

Now if only I could remember what plant this was I could tell you that bees absolutely love it - it's been covered this afternoon by big ol' bumblebees

Actually reading Foxhill Gardener's post makes me think it may be echinops - that rings a bell! FHG is it echinops?

[northmaid]

I found this thread particularly interesting as I've just got back from a one-day taster beekeeping course. Oop north here one of the important things apparantly is to have access early flowering plants so I'll be on the lookout for these. The taster course has really filled me with enthusiasm for the weekend beekeeping course I'm booked on for next month.

[FoxHillGardener]

Now if only I could remember what plant this was I could tell you that bees absolutely love it - it's been covered this afternoon by big ol' bumblebees

Actually reading Foxhill Gardener's post makes me think it may be echinops - that rings a bell! FHG is it echinops?

Yes, they're echinops. here are some Kew bees