Our Services Explore Bees & Beekeeping Gardening for bees Woodland, hedgerows, meadows and verges have been disappearing at an alarming rate and parts of the countryside are now green deserts with very few wild flowers so bees need your help! You can help the bees, all the bees, honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees, by planting more flowers for them to feed on. It doesn't matter if your garden is a balcony, allotment, window box, pots and tubs or a swathe of green open space; with a bit of thought pollinators can benefit from a banquet of pollen and nectar right throughout the year. Choose plants with single, open flowers for easy access to the pollen and nectar. Top Ten flowers you should plant to attract honey bees: Hellebore species and hybrids Helleborus species are tolerant of most conditions, they prefermoist, well drained alkaline soil in dappled shade. Salvia species Salvias are sun-loving plants and good drainage is essential. They lookvery striking in a mixed border. Echinacea A long-flowering border perennial which is easy to grow.It is an excellent plant for pollinators, rich in nectar through late summer and autumn. Rudbeckia laciniata Striking larger plant. Easy to grow if given full sun or partial shade and amoderately fertile soil. Lavandula species Lavender is ideal for a mixed border, but it also makes a fantastic edging plant. Lavender reallyneeds sun, well-drained soil. Galanthus nivalis Common Snowdrop A delicate little flower often covered in snow, but avital source for pollen and nectar. Crocus species (winter-flowering) Easy to grow and look beautiful in containers or in groups on a lawn. An earlysource of pollen for the bees. Cosmos Cosmos have edible flowers. Simply scatter the seedsand these freely flowering annual plants will spring up. Sedum species Sedums are hardy, easy to care for and make great cut flowers. Verbena species Verbena will thrive in full sun, well drained soil and relatively dry conditions and willattract many pollinators. You can find more information in our downloadable BBKA leaflets Ten favourite flowers to attract Honey Bees or Trees for Bees and Shrubs for Bees. There is further useful information in our 'Planting for Bees' blog which covers all four of the seasons. This fun calendar, courtesy of Rowse Honey, gives great information on the best sowing/planting times for bee-friendly flowers together with details of when you can expect them to flower. Further information is available on the Rowse Honey website using the following links: Guide to attracting pollinators: https://www.rowsehoney.co.uk/hive-of-information/inspired-by-nature/a-guide-to-attracting-pollinators-to-your-garden-all-year-round/ Rowse Hives For Lives sustainability programme: https://www.rowsehoney.co.uk/hives-for-lives/ Offer Your Land for Bees If you have a large garden you may be able to help a local beekeeper by providing a space for a hive or two. Contact our office to express an interest: [email protected]. Further information and our website map is here. Help us to help the bees, please donate Manage Cookie Preferences