image from naturalgardeningblogspot.com
I started this yesterday but had lots of interruptions. I found some of these plants really interesting that bees find them attractive. I have these here and that is why so many bees are hanging out. The one plant that really surprised me was sedum which is a succulent and very easy to grow. For you gardeners that want easy and to help with the bees there you go. Of course, I have some here for you to choose from. It is hot and humid so watering all morning, then working inside the house/office. I watch for gardeners to drive up. I will come out when I see you. Rain this afternoon which is well needed and hope it cools down just a little. Looks like the next 10 days the same. Next week would have been the Franklin Co Fair, and it would have been a hot, humid week at the fair. It does seem strange not getting ready to go to the fair. I have been there 20 years from decorating the fairgrounds, to having the wagons and tables full of gardening stuff. If you are in need of some gardening plants from annuals to perennials to succulents to herbs I am open Monday thru Friday 9-6. I am closing on weekends to give myself some time off to work on other things. Hope that works for you. Stay safe, stay cool and keep your spirits up. These are hard times, and it isn’t getting any easier.
The Best Plants to Attract Bees Written by Marie Iannotti
Bees are essential to a garden. Without their help in pollinating plants, there would be few flowers or vegetables. There are many things we can do to make our gardens more attractive to bees. One of the simplest is to grow plants that are rich in nectar and pollen. Not all plants provide these two basic needs. Many modern hybrids are sterile and don't offer any sustenance to bees. That doesn't mean you can't have a beautiful garden and still encourage bees to visit it. The following plants are both lovely and offer a food source for bees.
Aster (Aster)
Asters - fall Blooming Flowers
Stick with native asters, like Michaelmas, or New England, daisies. Since they bloom late in the season, they help bees stock up on energy, before winter.
Basil (Ocimum)
You will need to resist harvesting and allow some of your basil plants to flower. If you do, stand back; they will be covered with hungry, happy bees.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
These garden staples are part of the aster family. There are many good species of Rudbeckia, in a variety of heights. Their yellow color will help attract bees to your garden.
Clover (Trifolium)
Both white and red clover are excellent flowers for bees. Scatter seed in your lawn and allow them to forage. The clover will do double duty, providing your lawn with a source of nitrogen.
Klaus Honal/Getty Images
Look for the less cultivated varieties of Elderberry. Many of the more ornamental hybrids on the market now, are not good food sources for bees. Bumblebees will seek out the wilder varieties.
English Lavender (Lavandula)
Lavender flowers are rich in nectar and bloom in mid-summer when bees are most active. The honey from bees who feed on lavender has a wonderful floral flavor.
Globe Thistle (Echinops)
Although its common name suggests a thistle, Echinops is actually in the aster family. Its purple-blue color calls out to many species of bees and butterflies, too.
Goldenrod (Solidago)
Goldenrod is yet another member of the bee-friendly aster family. These plants are some of the last bloomers of the season and provide much-needed food, before the onset of winter.
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium)
This tall, eastern North American native is yet another late-blooming member of the aster family. Joe-pye weed is very easy to grow, in full sun or partial shade.
The white spot in the center of the flowers, on the reflexed banner petal, changes to purple after it is pollinated, telling hungry bumblebees not to waste precious time there.
Oregano (Origanum)
Many herbs are attractive to bees if you allow them to flower. Oregano is a favorite with honeybees. They will cover the plant and make it impossible to harvest from it, but they'll move on soon enough when the flowers fade.
Penstemon (Penstemon)
Full of nectar and pollen, native penstemon plants are tubular flowers that several types of bees are happy to squeeze into and feast on. The lines on their petals act as "nectar guides", so the bees waste no time finding dinner.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
Honeybees flock to coneflowers. It's not uncommon to see more than one bee foraging on a single flower. They provide both nectar and pollen and bloom throughout most of the season and well into fall.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus)
Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub. When it blooms in early spring, the blue flowers call bees from far and wide. You will have to wait, to harvest from your rosemary bush, but rosemary honey is a treat worth waiting for.
Sage (Salvia)
Both culinary sage and many of the ornamental salvias are popular foraging plants for bees. Since the flower stalks bloom from the bottom of the stalk upwards, they are worth repeat visits.
Stonecrop (Sedum)
It doesn't matter what type of sedum you plant, whether the short ground covers or the tall, garden plants if you plant them, bees and butterflies will come.
Sunflower (Helianthus)
Both the perennial and annual varieties of sunflowers rely on bees for their pollination. The center disk is dense with individual flowers that can keep a bee busy for quite a while until it is covered in pollen.
These summer stalwarts are intense bloomers and bees will make many repeat visits. Zinnias are popular flowers for vegetable gardens, where they lure bees to visit and pollinate vegetables with less showy flowers, like tomatoes and beans.
Taken from https://webmail.netins.net
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337
The Best Plants to Attract Bees Written by Marie Iannotti
Bees are essential to a garden. Without their help in pollinating plants, there would be few flowers or vegetables. There are many things we can do to make our gardens more attractive to bees. One of the simplest is to grow plants that are rich in nectar and pollen. Not all plants provide these two basic needs. Many modern hybrids are sterile and don't offer any sustenance to bees. That doesn't mean you can't have a beautiful garden and still encourage bees to visit it. The following plants are both lovely and offer a food source for bees.
Aster (Aster)
Asters - fall Blooming Flowers
Stick with native asters, like Michaelmas, or New England, daisies. Since they bloom late in the season, they help bees stock up on energy, before winter.
Basil (Ocimum)
You will need to resist harvesting and allow some of your basil plants to flower. If you do, stand back; they will be covered with hungry, happy bees.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
These garden staples are part of the aster family. There are many good species of Rudbeckia, in a variety of heights. Their yellow color will help attract bees to your garden.
Clover (Trifolium)
Both white and red clover are excellent flowers for bees. Scatter seed in your lawn and allow them to forage. The clover will do double duty, providing your lawn with a source of nitrogen.
Klaus Honal/Getty Images
Look for the less cultivated varieties of Elderberry. Many of the more ornamental hybrids on the market now, are not good food sources for bees. Bumblebees will seek out the wilder varieties.
English Lavender (Lavandula)
Lavender flowers are rich in nectar and bloom in mid-summer when bees are most active. The honey from bees who feed on lavender has a wonderful floral flavor.
Globe Thistle (Echinops)
Although its common name suggests a thistle, Echinops is actually in the aster family. Its purple-blue color calls out to many species of bees and butterflies, too.
Goldenrod (Solidago)
Goldenrod is yet another member of the bee-friendly aster family. These plants are some of the last bloomers of the season and provide much-needed food, before the onset of winter.
Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium)
This tall, eastern North American native is yet another late-blooming member of the aster family. Joe-pye weed is very easy to grow, in full sun or partial shade.
The white spot in the center of the flowers, on the reflexed banner petal, changes to purple after it is pollinated, telling hungry bumblebees not to waste precious time there.
Oregano (Origanum)
Many herbs are attractive to bees if you allow them to flower. Oregano is a favorite with honeybees. They will cover the plant and make it impossible to harvest from it, but they'll move on soon enough when the flowers fade.
Penstemon (Penstemon)
Full of nectar and pollen, native penstemon plants are tubular flowers that several types of bees are happy to squeeze into and feast on. The lines on their petals act as "nectar guides", so the bees waste no time finding dinner.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
Honeybees flock to coneflowers. It's not uncommon to see more than one bee foraging on a single flower. They provide both nectar and pollen and bloom throughout most of the season and well into fall.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus)
Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub. When it blooms in early spring, the blue flowers call bees from far and wide. You will have to wait, to harvest from your rosemary bush, but rosemary honey is a treat worth waiting for.
Sage (Salvia)
Both culinary sage and many of the ornamental salvias are popular foraging plants for bees. Since the flower stalks bloom from the bottom of the stalk upwards, they are worth repeat visits.
Stonecrop (Sedum)
It doesn't matter what type of sedum you plant, whether the short ground covers or the tall, garden plants if you plant them, bees and butterflies will come.
Sunflower (Helianthus)
Both the perennial and annual varieties of sunflowers rely on bees for their pollination. The center disk is dense with individual flowers that can keep a bee busy for quite a while until it is covered in pollen.
These summer stalwarts are intense bloomers and bees will make many repeat visits. Zinnias are popular flowers for vegetable gardens, where they lure bees to visit and pollinate vegetables with less showy flowers, like tomatoes and beans.
Taken from https://webmail.netins.net
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337
