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Garden Gate:  Bee a better gardener  |
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ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 24 2009 : 7:50:23 PM
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I came across this list of bee friendly plants. I know it isnt a complete list, but I thought it may be a great place to start.. Please feel free to add to it. I have committed to be... BEE friendly, to BEE a better gardener....
Roses (Rosa spp.). Hardy old roses such as the apothecary rose and newer varieties such as ‘Knockout’ form large shrubs in the landscape and produce their fragrant flowers abundantly. They can be surprisingly drought-tolerant and carefree.
Lavender (Lavandula spp.). An aromatherapy classic, this perennial flower is tough and drought-resistant once established, and will appreciate the good drainage offered by your slope.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Tuck a few of these tender, fragrant plants into your garden and the bees will come. Use both green- and purple-leafed varieties.
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Draw in the bees and butterflies with this trouble-free hardy perennial native. It has bright orange flowers.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). This creeping perennial groundcover is a favorite of bees. It comes in many forms and can naturalize.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). Hardy and cheerful, this perennial has white, daisy-like flowers and grows 2 to 3 feet tall, with dwarf varieties available as well.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Tall annuals for the back of the garden, the ray flowers come in a wide variety of bright, even gaudy colors.
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). This evergreen shrub can be heavily pruned to form a tidy border to front or frame your garden bed.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). This fragrant perennial herb must be brought indoors for the winter in colder climates, but it will survive just fine outside in your Zone 8 garden.
Oregano (Origanum spp.). These fragrant herbs are low-growing summer bloomers, almost as useful in the landscape as in the kitchen.
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum). This carefree hardy perennial has golden-yellow flowers and shiny, dark green leaves. It blooms in late spring to early summer.
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). The soft blue-purple blossoms and finely cut silvery leaves of perennial Russian sage add a lovely, airy look. This hardy perennial plant is drought- and heat-tolerant, and a beautiful foil for the larger, more substantial flowers nearby
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2009 : 05:50:06 AM
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Great list!
One year I accidentally let my radish go to flower/seed. The bees and butterflies loved it!
They also love my swamp milk weed. Bee's mostly.
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2009 : 08:37:09 AM
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| Deb, You should plant radish with your squash and let them go to seed. They attract bugs that eat squash bugs. Now, you understand that I have never done this. Just read it somewhere and have a note in my seed stash that I am copying from now. Someone remind me to try this. Sounds like something Jerry Baker would do. |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2009 : 10:59:32 AM
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I should! I've had a horrible time getting my squash to grow - because of bugs. I tried everything. Someone told me to take ash from my fire pit and put it along the stem of the squash to prevent the buggies from eating. Didn't work.
I'll give it a whirl this spring!
http://www.xanga.com/My_Pondering_Place |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2009 : 11:03:47 AM
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I have noticed that when I let some of my broccoli plants flower out, all kinds of bees, especially big bumble bees, come and visit. In the south, they love also the confederate jasmine and honeysuckle vines, and wild clover.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
Edited by - jpbluesky on Jan 25 2009 11:05:08 AM |
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farmmommy
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Kelley
Texas
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2009 : 08:22:21 AM
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| My hostas are Excellent bee and hummer plants!!!! And where I'm at, my hostas bloom twice per season, first in mid spring, and when the flowers have faded from the spikes, I cut them off at ground level (usually early summer) then they grow new spikes in late summer and the bees and hummers get a second round! My petunias and million bells (calbracoa) are also 5 star buffets for the bees and hummers as well as butterflies. I actually have a picture somewhere of a planter full of million bells that had 2 monarchs and about 5 bumble bees eating together in harmony!!! And as in Rene's list, Sage, (it doesn't seem to matter what type) have always been good bee buffets for me. However, I think that If the hummers in my yard had a favorite, it would be the sages and if the bees had a favorite it would be the petunis and million bells!! kelley |
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farmmommy
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Kelley
Texas
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2009 : 08:28:00 AM
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| OOhhh, almost forgot about the hibiscus and purple cone flowers!!! How could I forget????? We had Soooooo much echinachea (purple cone flower) growing wild all over our property in Oklahoma that it was a beautiful sight to see!!! Talk about BEES!!!! They just loved it! And my hibiscus were really good bee and hummer plants!!!.....Kelley |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2009 : 06:43:58 AM
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I am not sure if this is on any official bee plant list but I have italian oregano that I let bloom and the bees just love it. It is more popular with them then my russian sage.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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farmmom22
True Blue Farmgirl
616 Posts
Tammy
Scottsville
KY
USA
616 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2009 : 8:55:26 PM
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Bees love catnip or catmint also. I have some planted near my porch and all last summer I would sit on the porch swing and watch them. They never bothered me or the kids and they were so amazing to watch.
Best farm wishes |
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ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2009 : 10:51:49 PM
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this is awesome, keep them coming...
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
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Nance in France
True Blue Farmgirl
1438 Posts
Nancy
St. Laurent de la Salanque
France
1438 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 03:12:29 AM
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| Oh this is such a wonderful topic, as the bees need our help more than ever! Some good ones I don't think I saw listed are other flowering herbs like mint and chives; fragrant heliotrope, nicotiana and of course, zinnias. Liatris and thalictrum are good bee and butterfly flowers, and Weigela (may be spelled wrong) is a pretty shrub sized bush....mine is covered with pink flowers in spring and the bush literally swarms with bees. Buddleia is a butterfly magnet, and probably attractive to bees also.... Our gardens are going to be the "bee's knees" if we plant all these! |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 04:05:26 AM
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Don't forget bee balm! I always have lots of them around my bee balm. I never really thought of tulips but you know, every spring I have bees walking around inside them and their legs are just loaded with pollen when they take off.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
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DearMildred
True Blue Farmgirl
223 Posts
Amanda
Tulsa
OK
USA
223 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 08:18:25 AM
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This is great! I am already planning a butterfly garden so now I have some more things to add to my list!
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
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Garden Gate: Bee a better gardener |
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Bee a better gardener
