help with flowers that attract bees!

[Lcottomsvcs]

Originally Posted by Lcottomsvcs

I am a beekeeper also, and my bees love a variety of flowers, regardless of color. They are most interesting in the food (nectar and pollen) they can obtain from the flower. Many hybrid plants which are bred for big, showy flowers are actually poor in nectar. Many plants we consider weeds, such as dandilion(spelling?), clover, golden rod and vetch are actually very good for bees. Plants that get alot of "bee interest" in my yard and are easy to grow include:

sunflowers
lambs ear
hyssop
mints
catnip
chives, garlic and regular
lemon balm
asters (important near the fall when other flowers have dried up)
bee balm
borage
poppies

There is one ground cover, Snow-on-the-Mountain (Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegata), which is bad for bees. It makes a toxic honey. I had to rip it out of my borders when we got our bees.

I hope this helps. Happy Gardening!

I meant "they are most interested in the food (nectar and pollen) they get from the flowers. So much for proofreading.......

[babice]

Hi! In addition to all the suggestions I see already posted I would recommend dill as well since you mentioned herbs. Did someone mention Basil because they love those flowers too. And chives. Be aware btw that once basil, cilantro, parsley and dill bolt (flower and begin producing seed) they don't taste so good. I grow sets of all of those that I let flower to attract bees and bennies. Then I grow sets of them that I keep trimmed regularly for culinary purposes.

By the way I see lots of bees hovering around the flowers my hostas produce. And they love my honeysuckle tree and roses. I'm also growing sunflowers, borage (you can eat this), nasturtium, sweet pea vines, clematis, morning glory, moon glory, marigold, lemon balm, butterfly bush, etc.

[dpurdy]

Originally Posted by RebelRidin

We keep zinnia, purple coneflower and bee balm plantings in the beds near the garden. They will attract all kinds on bees.

I see bees and hummingbirds all the time on the bee balm. I agree that all three you mentioned are good attractors for bees. Holy Hocks are another flower that attracts bees.
DP

[koshki]

Aimeruni, I don't know where in Michigan you are, but I'm in SE MI. I get lots of bees on my butterfly bushes and the yarrow, but the lavender is BUZZING with bees!

I planted them last year, and this year they have grown quite a bit. I may need to relocate one or two as I may have underestimated how much they expand. They are planted amongst my roses, and I just love them.

Oh, and last year I mostly saw just bumblebees, but this year I've got a lot of honey bees, too. Yay!

[Cole_Robbie]

The bumble bees seem to love my catnip.

I read an extension center article that said if you have your own hive, you should do the opposite and try to mow down or kill anything else that is flowering near your vegetable garden or melon patch, because doing so would "remove competition for pollination."

Can another flowering plant next to your garden be "competition?" Or does it simply attract more bees? Is the answer any different if you have your own hive?

[RayR]

Honey Bee's love Onion flowers, I grow some onions out for a seed crop and the honey Bee's are always there.
They like Oregano flowers too.