As the numbers of bees around the world are falling, many of us are looking for ways to help the bees.
If you have a garden, you can easily help the bees thrive by planting flowers they like to use as food. Planting a variety of different species will attract a larger amount of bees.
Avoiding the use of insecticides and other chemicals which are harmful to bees is also wise if you want to protect the bees.
Honeybees forage for food within a radius of three kilometres, so even if you don’t have a beehive in your neighbourhood, your garden could still be used by bees from slightly further afield.
Here are ten different plants that will definitely get your garden buzzing!
1. Wildflowers
As the loss of natural habitats is one of the major threats for bees today, having wildflowers some-times regarded as ‘weeds’ can be very beneficial for bees. Native wildflowers are especially well adapted to the biosphere of your area, so they help protect the natural balance of the ecosystem.
Intensive weeding and tidying of gardens has led to the point where there is a severe shortage of natural habitats in some areas. Allowing some of your garden to go wild, and especially avoiding the use of pesticides, can do a lot of good to the health of your local bee population.
2. Sunflowers
As sunflower heads actually consist of over a thousand little flowers joined together, they can keep a bee busy for a long time. They provide bees with both nectar and pollen.
3. Tree Dahlia
Tree Dahlias take up a lot of space, but if you have a big garden, planting one would definitely count as a good deed for the bees in your area. They are easy to grow and beautiful to look at; and they provide plenty of pollen for bees as they bloom.
4. Comfrey
Comfrey isn’t the prettiest of flowers, but it has a very long flowering period, making it one of the best plants for bees. Comfrey also has an important role in organic gardening, as it makes for ex-cellent compost and can be used as fertilizer.
5. Marjoram
There are several herbs that are good for bees, and marjoram is one of them. It is easy to grow, and attracts several different species of pollinators. Other flowering herbs which attract bees in-clude fennel and rosemary. As an additional perk, they are good for your kitchen too!
6. Honeywort
Honeywort is a self-seeding annual flower which blooms in hues of dark purple. Going by its name, it’s not surprising that bees love this flower. In favourable conditions, it can produce huge amounts of nectar.
7. Phacelia
This genus of flowers, also known as heliotropes or scorpion weeds, is one of the single most at-tractive for bees on the planet.
The species Phacelia tanacetifolia, commonly known as lacy phacelia or purple tansy, is especial-ly attractive to bees. It also attracts hoverflies, which in turn eliminate aphids and other pests, therefore providing a form of natural pest control.
8. Lavenders
There are many different species of lavender, but one thing they have in common is that the bees love them. This beautiful flower is a good source of both nectar and pollen for bees.
9. Fruit trees
A variety of fruit trees will attract a larger crowd of bees, but even one is a good start. Fruit trees that produce a high volume of flowers in blooming season are the best option for bees. Apple trees and cherry trees are good choices, but any flowering fruit tree will be beneficial for bees.
10. Honeysuckle
Another flower with a honey-themed name, honeysuckle has tubular blooms which are especially well liked by long-tongued bees such as the garden bumblebee. What’s more, they look dazzling in their vivid colours and graceful shapes.
sources:
https://www.buglife.org.uk/activities-for-you/wildlife-gardening?gclid=Cj0KEQjwnsPGBRDo4c6RqK-Oqu8BEiQAwNviCSYq8AysNwG4-2N0BhUAGFd1Q4uX8pCQEEhNS2nQcDEaAknG8P8HAQ
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/goulsonlab/resources/flowers
http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plant-inspiration/plants-for-bees/