There’s a lot of information at the moment about the challenge our bees are having in maintaining good health and happy hives. You can help by ensuring your garden is as bee friendly as possible.
We always have loads of bees in our garden. I think it’s because there are loads of flowering herbs and vegetables. All our plants serve a purpose. Some are there just because they’re beautiful but 90% of them are medicinal herbs and vegetables.
Favourite bee hangouts seem to be comfrey, rosemary, thyme and sage. Sounds like a Simon and Garfunkel song doesn’t it?
A bee collects pollen from an Echinacea plant
It’s often the little things that count. If you can, plant just one plant.
The Bee Guardian Foundation lists the following as bee-friendly plants:
- Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
- Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
- Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Bergamot (Monarda didyma)
- Betony
- Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
- Black Horehound (Ballota nigra)
- Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
- Bloody Cranesbill
- Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
- Borage (Borago officinalis)
- Bugle (Ajuga repens)
- Butterbur
- Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)
- Catmint (Nepeta cataria)
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
- Chives (Allium schoenprasum)
- Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
- Foxglove (Digitalis)
- Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys)
- Globe Flower (Trollius europaeus)
- Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
- Grape Hyacinth
- Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa)
- Greater Stitchwort
- Gypsywort
- Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvestris)
- Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
- Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)
- Hound’s Tongue (Cynoglossum)
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
- Ice Plant (Sedum)
- Lemon Bergamot
- Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis)
- Lambs Ears (Stachys byzantine)
- Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
- Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Lesser Celandine
- Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
- Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
- Marsh Marigold
- Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
- Apple Mint
- Mountain Mint
- Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
- Musk Mallow (Malva moschata)
- Oxlip
- Painted sage (Slavia horminum)
- Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
- Penstemon
- Poached Egg (Limnanthes douglasii)
- Poppy (Papaver)
- Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
- Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi)
- Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
- Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber)
- Rock Rose (Helianthemum mummularium)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Sainfoin (Onobrychis vicifolia)
- Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
- Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)
- Spiked Speedwell (Veronica spicata)
- Sweet Cicely
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
- Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
- Thyme (Thymus)
- Tickseed (Coreopsis)
- Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)
- Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
- Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
- White Clover
- Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgaris)
- Wild Clematis (Clematis vitalba)
- Wild Mignonette (Reseda lutea)
- Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)
- Yellow Archangel
- Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
- Yellow Loosestrife
So tell me,
- Do you get many bees in your garden?
- Who do they like to visit the most?
