Planting for bees

In the United Kingdom we have over 250 species of bees, but their numbers are declining due to factors such as habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use, climate change, and pests and diseases, including the parasitic varroa mite which attacks and kills honeybees.

So what bee friendly plants can we grow to support these essential pollinators? The good news is that there is a wide variety of plants we can grow to attract bees. Foxgloves, for example are a popular choice and whether in your own garden or out for a walk, it’s easy to spot which flowers are most effective at luring bees and rewarding them with pollen and nectar. What’s fascinating is many of these plants have developed features to help bees pollinate their flowers. Foxgloves for instance, have a landing platform, and ‘nectar guides’ – visual markings that guide bees to the pollen and nectar in the throat of the flower. Other plants, such as sunflowers guide by ultraviolet patterns in their petals which are visible to bees but not to humans. Bees are also unable to see the colour red, and are mainly attracted to purple, pink and blue flowers. Interestingly, single flowers are also far more effective at attracting pollinating bees than double flowers, which hinder access to nectar and pollen.

While it’s tempting to think of bees only during summer, they will forage for food year-round, and gardeners can create a display of bee friendly flowers throughout the year. During the winter months bees will eagerly seek out plants such as snowdrops, Oregon grape and winter honeysuckle. As spring arrives, bulbs, such as tulips, flowering cherries and herbaceous perennials like cowslip and lungwort provide welcome food for bees. Summer brings a wealth of bee friendly plants including rosemary, foxgloves, globe thistle and honeysuckle. Autumn favourites such as sedum, asters and single dahlias offer invaluable food sources, along with the native ivy whose autumn flowers are often amass with bees.

While we may take the humble bee for granted there’s every reason for encouraging bees to visit our gardens, and even the smallest plot can support a few bee-friendly flowers. Here at Cambridge University Botanic Garden our Bee Borders are designed to provide year-long interest and inspiration for visitors, gardeners and bees alike – creating a real bee magnet!

With careful plant selection, traditional style herbaceous and mixed borders provide a perfect opportunity to attract bees to your garden. If you prefer a more relaxed garden style, bee friendly annual mixes are a great option. These can easily be sown directly into your garden to encourage bees to your patch. And if you’re keen to attract bees in a wildlife friendly garden many native wildflowers, such as white nettle, primrose and hawthorn are favourites with bees. Additionally, features such as a bee hotel providing shelter for solitary bees, and a shallow bee water station to provide water for bees to feed their young and to help keep their hive cool and humid in summer.

For humans the work of bees is critical, ensuring the production of crops we rely on for our existence. Without bees there would be no apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweetcorn or even chocolate. In short, without bees, humans wouldn’t survive. Anything we can do as gardeners to bolster bee populations can only be a good thing, not only for bees, but for our fragile ecosystem, and for us as humans.

So while pottering in your patch spare a moment to watch these productive insects at work – you’ll quickly be mesmerised by them going about their essential work.

• Select plants to provide flowers year-round.
• Bees are most attracted to purple, blue and pink flowers, though will pollinate other coloured flowers too.
• Add a bee hotel and bee water station.
• Avoid using chemicals that are harmful to bees.

• Keep on top of weeds.
• Thoroughly water new plantings to establish strong roots.
• Sow seed of tender vegetables such as beans, sweetcorn and courgettes under cover ready for planting out once the risk of frost has passed.

This piece was originally written for Cambridge Edition magazine.