Bees need 3 things to thrive – food, shelter and water.
Use this guide to discover which plants and trees to grow, and when they flower. Different bees are active throughout the year, so you’ll need flowering plants from spring to winter.
Bees forage from flowers rich in nectar and pollen. Nectar contains sugar they need for energy. Pollen contains protein and oils. Bee species’ tongues vary in size – so try to provide different shaped flowers.
LAVENDER
Lavender plants are very rich in nectar for all pollinating insects, and it’s a marvelous plant to get in your garden. It smells, and looks brilliant, and you can use some of the flowers and leaves in food too!
ROSEMARY
Rosemary can bring a lovely fragrance to the garden, and bees enjoy it too! Rosemary has all sorts of culinary uses as well, so it’s a really practical plant to grow!
BORAGE (STAR FLOWER)
Borage is one of the most important plants for bees and it’s being planted across the nation to attract bees. It’s a lovely blue/purple colour so is a great way to brighten up your garden.
CRAB APPLE TREES
These trees are stunning. They produce fabulous pink and white flowers around the springtime that are abundant in nectar for bees. Better yet, crab apple trees pollinate other apples, so if you’re trying to grow your own edible fruit, they’re a great choice for the garden.
OX-EYE DAISY
The open flower heads of ox-eye daisy attract all sorts of pollinating insects, especially bees. Flowering from May right through to September, they’re a great plant to grow in your garden.
Ideally, bees need a lot of different plants and flowers to keep them healthy, so use a few different types to encourage them into your garden