Flowers for Bees

Firblog

Hi folks,

I'm an absolute novice with all things garden related except walking behind a lawnmower.

I've a small garden out back that I'm getting done up (brother in law is handier with that stuff than me) It's steep at the back roughly a 6' drop in 45 degree angle, then fairly flat.

I'm going to get 3 terraces (Garden is 18' Wide) put in on the slope, then stone/gravel on the flat.

I want to have flowers (in the terraces) that are very bee friendly, but that are not demanding on me, as they'd have no chance if they need me to help them grow.

I've been out to a couple of garden centres having a wee look, but I'm like a cow looking at a radio when it comes to this stuff, not a clue...

I've tried looking at various sites for advice, but don't have enough knowledge as to how easy the plants are to take care off, if they'll take our climate etc...



Can people recommend flowers to put in?

cheers in advance.

GrumpyMe

Try http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/index.php/about-us/education/flowers-for-bees

lazybones32

Put a cardboard cutout of me in your garden. Every bee in a 2 mile radius seems to hover around my face when I'm outdoors.

Harry Palmr

Bumble bees love geranium pratense/Meadow cranesbill which blossoms in June as a rule, alas you only get about two weeks of glory but the bees will be all over them. They need no help at all - very hardy just stick em in a sunny spot.

looksee

http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/index.php/about-us/education/flowers-for-bees

I checked up this site as I really don't know much about which flowers are best for bees, but I do know a bit about growing flowers. Keep in mind that they are suggesting flowers for maximum honey production, or special flavour honey. You do not have to go to those lengths.

Pretty much all the main flowers mentioned are not really suitable for growing in a garden as they are essentially weeds - plant ragwort!!? you are obliged to get rid of the stuff, not plant it! And the trees would be too big.

Fuchsia is the only possibility in those plants, and erica carnea, winter flowering heather will grow in any soil type (most need acid soil)

In the section 'What to grow' on the above site, most of the shrubs are suitable and easy to grow. I would avoid Box (slow and not very inspiring) Brachyglottis - not very interesting, escalonia - can get very straggly if not looked after, Snowberry and Stags horn sumach - both a bit invasive. Lavender is lovely, it does need a bit of a trim after flowering to keep it compact, and rosemary is the same. Most of those shrubs are medium sized - apart from lavender - and might be a bit big for your area, so limit the number.

Of the annuals don't plant forget-me-not or poached egg flower as they both quickly become weeds.

The perennials listed are all ok apart from mint. Hardy geraniums are great plants, good ground cover and flowering periods, take a shears to them after the first flower, cut them back and they will give you another flush of flowers.

Of the climbers mentioned, clematis montana is a bit of a thug but will give a glorious mass of flowers for a couple of weeks in spring, don't plant ivy and be cautious of virginia creeper.

smacl

One listed on the site which worked very well for me was lavender. Needs sharp drainage and decent sunlight, but the small hedge of it that I planted was regularly covered in bees, attractive and great smelling. Downside was the plants are difficult to cut back without killing, and I eventually replaced with a mix of rosemary and sage, but thinking of putting lavender in again somewhere else. Also have some fuschia, which is nice as it is late flowering, and again good for insects.

seagull

Borage will get a fair number of bees, and is very easy to grow. You can also try nepeta.

marask

I have this in front garden - phacelia tanacetifolia - it is very popular with bees and bumblebees, has long blooming period and requires no attention at all, I planted in succession also in april (seeded itself from last year) and planted seeds in june which began to bloom about two weeks ago

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lacy-phacelia/lacy-phacelia-growing.htm

Firblog

Perhaps if I give a list of some of the flowers I've read are good for bees and some one could tell me if they are easy/difficult/time consuming to grow?

Aubrieta, bluebell, crocus, euphorbia, hellebore, acarcia, asters, sedum, fuchsia, mahonia, alleium, anemone, echinacea, globethistle, hollyhock, monarda.

Also am getting the garden work done soon, still ok to plant these, or should I hold off until spring?

Again all help much appreciated.

I was at a housing estate yesterday I look after yesterday. I had planted some potentilla shrubs there a few years ago. They are about three feet big now and I couldn't believe the amount of bee activity around them. I counted 10 to 15 bees on each shrub. You can get a few different varieties with different colour flowers. Easy to maintain. I only give them a trim once a year and had to thin them out the first year

looksee

The only issue I would see is that the plants you list are of very different types.

Aubretia is a low growing perennial, easy, plant any time from container grown.

Bluebells - make sure you get the English or hyacinthoides non-scripta, not the Spanish bluebells, which are a thuggish menace.

Crocus - bulbs for spring only problem is that in an open bed you might tend to accidentally dig them up later, the small species varieties tend to stand up to weather better than the bigger ones.

Euphorbia - lovely but some varieties can be invasive.

Helebore, good winter and spring flower, happy in shade.

Acacia, I don't know as I have not grown it.

Asters, huge variety and would need careful selection, otherwise easy.

Sedum, lovely and no problem, good autumn colour.

Fuchsia, depending on where you are, be sure and get a hardy one.

Mahonia, several types, no problem generally.

Alliums - bulbs, excellent.

Anemones - bulbs, the de caens are easy but I have found can just disappear after a couple of years.

Echinaecea and globe thistle I have not grown.

Hollyhock - lunch for slugs, lovely but not easy.

Monarda I have not grown but am familiar with it, lovely plant, easy.

Edit - I have used the term bulb in a general sense. some of the plants above grow from corms.

taxusbaccata

Go for native species for native bees and butterflies.

Bees absolutely love foxgloves - our most amazing native flower IMO - they have just finished flowering for this year but you can now collect their seed - there are hundreds of seeds in their brown pods - just drop onto naked soil. They will flower in year 2 then die but once you drop seed 2 years in a row you will have perpetual seeds.

Birds foot trefoil, Viper Bugloss and Devils Bit scabious are other big favourites with bees. If you are willing to tame them at borders bees also love blackberry/briar flowers. They are all over them at present.

Bees go wild for clover flowers also - you could sow just clover on your lawn or as a soil covering plant below a taller planting although it would not be tough for children running.

Useful guide here:
http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Pollinator-How-to-Guide-2-Seeds_FINAL.pdf

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

If you want a sustainable population of bees and other beneficial insects then forget most ornamental and showy flowers.

Clover, heather, poppy, foxglove, perhaps late flowering Hebe, sedum scabrous, etc. offer more feeding.

my3cents

Why this isn't on the "B" list I don't know, Echium vulgare, vipers burgloss. Its a bit of a pain in that it grows as a biennial so if you let it grow in one spot you get flower every other year in between years the seedlings from copious seed spring up. In a garden it looks better if you provide the plant with a bit of support as it has a lax habit.

We have a big clump outside the kitchen window and its covered in bees, mainly worker bumble bees (the small ones) for about three months of the year.

In milder areas its big brother Echium pininana is equally attractive to bees.

Bebo stunnah

I bought a few packets from Seedaholics a couple of years back. Some of them were a pain to grow from seeds, but they all did a great job attracting bees to the garden. By far the easiest to grow was the Phacelia. You'll need to cut it back when it's finished flowering or the stems will turn into unsightly woody sticks over the winter.

By far the best attraction in my garden is a California Lilac species that I picked up in the local garden centre that was 'on the way out'. I planted it about 4 years ago and it's been thriving since. From a metre away you can hear the bush actually buzzing with the amount of bees that come to it while its flowering!

From my own experience any blue/purple coloured flowers will do a great job at bringing them in.

Hugh_C

There's an anise scented sage which homebase sell, I've planted a few of them next to a lavender bed, and the bees seem to like it. I don;t know whether the bees prefer it or the lavender though

ike

I have a large border with Catmint (Nepeta Six Hills Giant) and from June to Sept there is a constant drone of bees buzzing around them.

Aug-Sept they attract a wide variety of butterflies as well...

pwurple

In my experience, bees love blue/purple/pinks rather than the orange/yellow end of the spectrum.

Currently they are all over my echiums, and they just love the cardoons (cynara). Before these were in flower it was the geraniums and lavender they were going for.

My sedums are not in flower yet, but usually they are popular with the bees.

Firblog

Thanks for the suggestions of the various plants, but really appreciate if you could say that they're pretty easy grown, as I'd hate to have a garden full of dead plants in a year or two... :eek:

miezekatze

Lavender is fairly easy to grow and the bees love it! I don't have great soil in my garden and it's east facing too, but lavender grows without really needing any feeding or anything. I just cut it back before the winter so it looks a bit tidier again and that's it. Raspberries are also easy to grow and the bees love the flowers on them, plus you have the benefit of yummy berries too.

my3cents

Firblog wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions of the various plants, but really appreciate if you could say that they're pretty easy grown, as I'd hate to have a garden full of dead plants in a year or two... :eek:

Echium vulgare - bit of a weed really no chance you'll kill it off.

Sgt Pepper 64

Firblog wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'm an absolute novice with all things garden related except walking behind a lawnmower.

I've a small garden out back that I'm getting done up (brother in law is handier with that stuff than me) It's steep at the back roughly a 6' drop in 45 degree angle, then fairly flat.

I'm going to get 3 terraces (Garden is 18' Wide) put in on the slope, then stone/gravel on the flat.

I want to have flowers (in the terraces) that are very bee friendly, but that are not demanding on me, as they'd have no chance if they need me to help them grow.

I've been out to a couple of garden centres having a wee look, but I'm like a cow looking at a radio when it comes to this stuff, not a clue...

I've tried looking at various sites for advice, but don't have enough knowledge as to how easy the plants are to take care off, if they'll take our climate etc...



Can people recommend flowers to put in?

cheers in advance.

honeysuckle, foxglove and aquilegia

plus look at seeds from woodies or garden centre.
They do an easy to grow mix that attracts bees and butterflies, maybe labelled as for kids.
The seeds will be very easy to grow and the cheapest way of doing it it

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/organic_bees1.shtml

http://www.bbka.org.uk/learn/gardening_for_bees

Knine

I have Sunflowers in my garden both giant & miniture. The bees love them, especially the Bumblebees

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The important thing to remember is that bees, and all insects, rely on a source of food over a period ranging from mid March to October. Any planting should allow for flowering throughout this period.

Firblog

Piper Freezing Hedgehog wrote: »

The important thing to remember is that bees, and all insects, rely on a source of food over a period ranging from mid March to October. Any planting should allow for flowering throughout this period.

Aye, I'd definitely want as much blossom for as long a period as possible.

macraignil

Firblog wrote: »

Perhaps if I give a list of some of the flowers I've read are good for bees and some one could tell me if they are easy/difficult/time consuming to grow?

Aubrieta, bluebell, crocus, euphorbia, hellebore, acarcia, asters, sedum, fuchsia, mahonia, alleium, anemone, echinacea, globethistle, hollyhock, monarda.

Also am getting the garden work done soon, still ok to plant these, or should I hold off until spring?

Again all help much appreciated.

Echinacea seems to be growing back OK where I planted it a couple of years ago. It has nice flowers at the moment. It dies back over winter so it might require some weeding to keep the area where you plant it from getting overgrown.

The plants that are easy to grow that seem to attract the most bees to me are Hebe, Penstemon, Oregano, Erysium (Bowles's Mauve),Nepeta and Buddleja(butterfly bush). I prefer the purple varieties of the butterfly bush. Sedum and fuchsia are also good.