Garden plants to support bees

[Lesgold]

People with a small number of hives often grow flowering plants to help out their bees. The reality is that it would take a significant garden to provide enough to produce a surplus of honey but quite often even small gardens can help to keep a few hives busy by providing some pollen and nectar during the tough times. Do you guys fall into this category? What plants do you grow and why?

[Lesgold]

One plant that I grow is lavender. The bees are always on it and it provides a bit of nectar and pollen. The best part about it is that lavender flowers for about 9 months of the year in my area. Normally it slows up in the summer but this year has been wet and it?s still going. It is an attractive plant that looks good if you keep it pruned. I should be cutting it back now before the next hot weather arrives. During autumn, winter and spring it looks awesome. I love to watch the bees invading this plant, especially during the cooler winter months

[The15thMember]

Holy cow, that is HUGE lavender!  I wish mine could get that big! 

We always grow sunflowers, both the standard kind and Mexican sunflowers.  Both honeys and bumbles love these, plus the hummingbirds love the Mexican sunflowers and the goldfinches love the sunflower seeds.  We also have bee heaven for the sweat bees, sweet alyssum for the hoverflies, all kinds of herbs for us and the tiny little bees you can barely see, creeping jenny for the leafcutters, squash for us and the squash bees, plus poppies, borage, sulfur cosmos, zinnias, the list goes on and on!    I've got some native pussey willows that I planted last year that think are surviving the winter, so I hope they'll help with early pollen.     

[Lesgold]

Another bee friendly plant that I grow is a prostrate grevillea. It was planted many years ago on a steep bank as it is low maintenance and provides a good ground cover. It flowers heavily in the early spring with a smaller bloom around Xmas. The grevillea provides good quantities of nectar as a supplementary plant during the spring build up and often provides a pick during any summer dearth.

[Lesgold]

Another plant species that I grow to support the bees is banksia. I have a couple of varieties that produce an attractive floral display during the winter months. They produce both pollen and nectar. I have 5 hives located on sandy ground near the beach. The honey that I get from this area is totally different from what I extract from the majority of my hives at home. Winter and summer flowering banksias grow naturally in this environment and they produce a dark, strong flavoured honey.

[Bill Murray]

I dont know but here in the southern states I would say Spanish needle, is your best bet.

[Lesgold]

About 10 years ago I gathered some seed from a nectar producing gum tree that doesn?t grow in my area. I raised some seedlings and planted a few of them in some ground that was just outside my boundary fence. These trees are now about 6m high and have just started flowering for the first time. They flower every year at the end of summer and continue to do so into the early autumn (fall). Eventually, they should provide a nice pick of nectar just prior to winter. As I don?t feed bees, this nectar will will help to top up resources for the cooler months of the year.

[Kathyp]

I grow lavender, sunflowers, and buckwheat.  I have English ivy that is the bane of my existence but liked by the bees. Then there are plenty of weeds. I let the weeds go in spring.

Mostly I do it to attract the bees to my place, not because I think what I am growing makes much of a dent in their needs.

[BeeMaster2]

Judy has 2 rows of Bok Choy that she let go to seed. My bees are all over it.
Jim Altmiller

[Lesgold]

Trimmed the lavender back about 6 weeks ago. It is now shooting nicely and will start flowering in a few weeks. The bees will be all over it until Christmas time. It really does give them a nice pick through the winter.

[NigelP]

Getting a bit too old for my vegetable garden so in the process of turning it into a small field of wild flowers. Picture shows first sowing and at the front the second  bed just seeded.

[Kathyp]

NigelP that will be fun. I am surprised that you can start so early though. You are up in the northland. I compare the weather with my sister who lives down in Chard and ours is about the same except I think we get colder.

My ground is frozen 

[NigelP]

Photo was taken last Autumn Kathyp, got last third to do when weather warms up a bit...i.e spring.
But looking forward to see what other pollinators and butterflies they attract.

[Lesgold]

Well done Nigel. The bees will love you for your effort. I trimmed my Rosemary hedge a couple of months ago. It is just starting to produce a few flowers. It will keep a few bees amused until November.