A Bee Friendly Garden
By: Meriel Bradley
I finally managed to capture some pictures of this beautiful bumblebee. It’s a frequent visitor to my newly planted “Little Henry” Sweetspire and seems determined to collect every bit of pollen and nectar that the plant can provide.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind me chasing him around the plant taking pictures of him as he worked.
Quick Facts
Many consider bumble bees to be the most important group of pollinators
Bumblebees hibernate underground
Bumblebees average about 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length
Bumble bees are active even when the weather is bad, unlike other insects
Bumblebees are under threat – you can help them in your garden by planting bumble bee-friendly flowers
Tips to Create a Bee-Friendly Garden
Choose native plants, trees, and shrubs rich in pollen and nectar
Provide continuous bloom so you always have plants blooming from spring until fall
Many native bees build nests in soil, so leave some bare patches and limit your use of mulch
Provide fresh water
Make or buy a bee house
Don’t spray pesticides – garden organically
Some of my favourite bee-friendly plants
- Bee Balm
- Lavender
- Zinnias
- Marigolds
- White Clover
- Rosemary
- Mint
- Bachelor’s Buttons
- Thyme
- Echinacea – Coneflower
- Globe Thistle
- Gayfeather
- Coreopsis
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