This discussion has been closed.
Posted by concretejungle (U12208650) on Sunday, 31st May 2009
GW on 29 May gave a list of Top 10 plants for encouraging bees in a garden. Does anyone know where I can find a list of these - or do I need to watch it again on iplayer and pause every so often to write down the names? I've had a look around the website but have seen nothing. Thanks.
Try the GW website.
Concreatejungle put in their starting post that they had, I have also been looking..but no joy.
Do they no longer do a fact sheet any more..?
lots of ideas here
FOUND IT...
1 Agastache
2 Ajuga, Bugle
3 Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum'
4 Echium
5 Echinops, Globe thistle
6 Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve', Perennial wallflower
7 Monarda, Beebalm
8 Sedum
9 Tanacetum coccineum, Pyrethrum
10 Verbena bonariensis
I clicked RSS feeds. phew.
The list of those 10 is on the GW blog here:
There's also a useful page at the RHS on this precise subect:
That page includes a very large list, plus other advice - like bees prefer large clumbs of a single species rather than individual plants doted around; and avoiding double flowered varieties.
And this page has a decent list:
There's also a page on the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú website (from Chelsea 2007) which repeats the advice from the RHS:
Surprised Catmint (Nepeta)is not there since my plants are coverd with bees and butterflies for most of the Summer and has other advantages-cheap, easy to spread and lasts a long time
A well known internet book supplier (A*) has packets of mixed flower seeds designed to attract bees, called "Wildflowers for Bees - Just Bee Mix". Only £1.50 a packet (plus £4.95 postage!!!). That's much cheaper than buying a lot of pot grown plants.
The packet seems to be produced by a very well known seed suplier, although going onto the supplier's own website, I couldn't find them.
Lots and lots of bees in the garden at the moment and they're loving my ceanothus and broom.
Definitely more bees this year.
Thanks very much everyone - very much appreciated. I knew I could get some help here!
Personally I would leave out the Tanacetum because it can be very invasive. I'd also not bother with the Echium unless you live in a very mild area as they aren't hardy enough.
Otherwise the list is very good.
I'd replace the two above with Nepeta which is covered in bees now and Echinacea purpurea - any old pink variety will do fine, don't bother with the posh new Sky series sort for this purpose. Not only do bees love it, but ours were covered in butterflies late last summer including Commas and Painted Ladies, here in Cheshire.
feverfew is lovely and it is nice to have too many seedlings ! they pop up and spread everywhere , i love that!
We visited Arley gardens last summer & they had veronicastrum & it was smothered in bees. I love watching them on teasles.
Hi Trillium, as I walked round the garden this morning the bees were all over a cotoneaster bush, heuchera flowers, foxgoves and also nepeta. You could go on making lists. Borage and comfrey are other plants that I grow which the bees like.
Last year I grew Echium vulgare (vipers bugloss)a british native. Once you know the sort of flowes bees go for then it's easy to accomodate them. Just give them plenty to go at and plenty of places for them to make nests (most don't live in hives and some are solitary)
Don't be too tidy in the garden.
Just noting this useful thread - thanks everyone.
, in reply to message 14.
Posted by SilverGalanthus (U13903849) on Wednesday, 3rd June 2009
Well, my garden is definitely not tidy at the moment . In fact, it resembles a bit of a building site in one corner sadly.
Yet, it has a certain dryad loveliness in parts and this, despite its urban location, has attracted loads of bumblebees.
They really love the clumps of chives I have planted and also the self seeded foxgloves that have appeared. I also planted some giant alliums and they like those too. But they also love this type of giant euphorbia, which is probably more of a weed.
I can certainly vouch for Cersium rivulare as a bee attractant. On a sunny day in my garden, every single flower has one and sometimes two bumble bees lounging on it. They stay there for several minutes and seem almost drunk!
I think it's their top ten, not necessarily the bees'.
I have lots of chives that are pretty scary to get too close to at the moment, and a jasminum beesianum covering an arch that I have to take a deep breath before I walk through it in case I swallow a bee - they are everywhere on it, you can hear them from some distance away. Broad bean flowers are very popular too, so the en masse planting is obviously a winner.
Mahonia earlier in the year was just as busy.
My Caenothus covered with bees as are the various clumps of geranium nodsum which is a 'thug' plant but very pretty so I dont mind it. Alliums also buzzing.
Re Message 6 - thank you garyhobson for those links - I was particularly interested in the Co-operative one.
Welcome to the new Gardening Board. If this is your first time, then make sure you check out the
or  to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
Weekdays 09:00-00:00
Weekends 10:00-00:00
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú © 2014 The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.