The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Bees & Beekeeping => Topic started by: Glencairn on January 15, 2022, 06:15:21 pm
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What would you recommend I plant to encourage bees?
Ground is south facing, with a mix of soil types including clay. Altitude is relatively high, it rains frequently, it can be frozen there when most other areas are above zero.
Have put in daffodils, snowdrops and was gifted some bluebell bulbs from a friend from the gardening group my wife volunteers at.
I was considering digging up some foxgloves from some wasteland and seeing if they would take.
Planted a load of wild cherry too, but that's obviously a long term project and was looking for quicker results. There's already crab apple and hawthorn in place.
I was hoping to avoid lilly of the valley because I understand they are poisonous, however any other suggestions more than welcome.
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First thing I thought of was willow, great for an early feed. I'm sure lots more suggestion will follow :) .
Check out garden section, 'gardening for bumble bees' (presuming it's bumblies you are wanting? But I 'me sure honeybees appreciate many of same flowers. :)
** Now in wildlife section.
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If you have space - I would plant a couple of lime trees (as in Tilia cordata, not the sour variety for your gin and tonic). I know it is a longterm thing, but The local lime trees are absolutely buzzing when in flower. We are planting a couple in our field this winter/spring.
Also hazel and other fruit bushes, like currants (esp black currants) will grow relatively quickly and are also fodder for birds after the bees have done their pollination job.
If you are not worried about livestock (or young children) then foxgloves are also easy, and with any luck they will also self-seed.
Dog rose (Rosa canina), again great for both flower and hips.
I can really recommend the Dave Goulson book "Gardening for bumble bees" - check out the library. Ours has it.
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Buddleia - attractive to butterflies and presumably to bees also? Fast growing, and once you've got one tree they seed like mad.
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I'm not sure if you're planting trees to make the woodland or flowers to cover the ground, or both. The problem with flowers under trees is that once spring is past they get shaded out. There is research to show that bees prefer wildflowers to cultivated varieties, and if there's no choice then open single flowers, no doubles. Are you looking for wild flowers or garden varieties? Certainly bees love foxgloves but of course you will be wanting a continuous offering of flowers in every season, except perhaps winter. In the gardening for bumble bees thread already referred to by Penninehillbilly we are looking to see which flowers we grow are most attractive to bumble bees. We have only just started at the beginning of this year and I think only one person has any bees at the moment, so it will be February or March before making useful entries. Remember that bees also need somewhere to nest, unless you will be keeping hive bees, so rough grass, holes in masonry, uncut banks and so on help.
Trees liked by bees include: Willow, all the spring flowerers like cherry, blackthorn, mirabel, roses (roses of course are not trees but any woodland needs a shrubby layer as well as an understory), honeysuckle, buddleia as mentioned, alder, broom, gorse, and so many more, anything that produces pollen and nectar.
Flowers, depending on whether these are for under trees or in more open ground: Primrose, cowslip, bulbs, pulmonaria, daffodils, especially the native type, wood anemone, knapweed, meadow geranium, herb robert (which stinks), all sorts of low herbs such as thyme, marjoram, wild garlic, various mints including water mint (a small pond is good to include as bees need a drink every now and then), dandelions, clover, ox-eye daisies, yarrow, the list is pretty much endless.
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Just a quick note please check legality of up rooting any wild bulb ..... this is generally illegal (you can pick flowers and collect seed )
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I keep bees and I have a postage stamp size garden. Lots of lovely gardens in the village but bees do like wild areas such as railway line embankments where there are lots of stuff we would pull out of our cultivated gardens. Brambles are great for bees :innocent: . Next door to me has a big garden with a massive bramble covered banking which is literally buzzing when in flower. They target the horse chestnut and sycamore for pollen too.
Worth also remembering when in pursuit of that perfect lawn devoid of dandelions and such weed killers do bees and insects no good.
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If you have space - I would plant a couple of lime trees (as in Tilia cordata, not the sour variety for your gin and tonic). I know it is a longterm thing, but The local lime trees are absolutely buzzing when in flower. We are planting a couple in our field this winter/spring.
I was just about to post about lime trees. We have one in the steading and when it's in flower, it MOVES with bees. You can hear the collective hum from yards away.
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Locust trees are fast growers with lots of flowers, and they're a legume. Honey locust especially.
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If you have space - I would plant a couple of lime trees (as in Tilia cordata, not the sour variety for your gin and tonic). I know it is a longterm thing, but The local lime trees are absolutely buzzing when in flower. We are planting a couple in our field this winter/spring.
I was just about to post about lime trees. We have one in the steading and when it's in flower, it MOVES with bees. You can hear the collective hum from yards away.
I've just posted in the "Gardening for Bumble Bees" thread to say that you have persuaded me to send off for a Small leaved Lime - thank you [member=13]Rosemary[/member] and [member=3211]Anke[/member]
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If you have space - I would plant a couple of lime trees (as in Tilia cordata, not the sour variety for your gin and tonic). I know it is a longterm thing, but The local lime trees are absolutely buzzing when in flower. We are planting a couple in our field this winter/spring.
I was just about to post about lime trees. We have one in the steading and when it's in flower, it MOVES with bees. You can hear the collective hum from yards away.
Yes we bought two 6ft Tillia saplings from Cheviot trees, as well as ten smaller ones to go into the sheep field next year. The saplings are going to hopefully block the view to our new neighbours in due course...
I've just posted in the "Gardening for Bumble Bees" thread to say that you have persuaded me to send off for a Small leaved Lime - thank you [member=13]Rosemary[/member] and [member=3211]Anke[/member]
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You can grow limes in Scotland?!
In what, a greenhouse?
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It isn't the citrus lime, small leaf lime is tilia cordata, common names can be a bit confusing can't they ;)
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If you have space - I would plant a couple of lime trees (as in Tilia cordata, not the sour variety for your gin and tonic). I know it is a longterm thing, but The local lime trees are absolutely buzzing when in flower. We are planting a couple in our field this winter/spring.
I was just about to post about lime trees. We have one in the steading and when it's in flower, it MOVES with bees. You can hear the collective hum from yards away.
I've just posted in the "Gardening for Bumble Bees" thread to say that you have persuaded me to send off for a Small leaved Lime - thank you [member=13]Rosemary[/member] and [member=3211]Anke[/member]
This winter I've just planted 10 small leaves limes for out bees. They're only small saplings so keen to see how they do
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It isn't the citrus lime, small leaf lime is tilia cordata, common names can be a bit confusing can't they ;)
OOOHHH! We call those Linden trees. Or one particular one is Basswood that grows in this area.
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Willow,
flowering current good for early spring.
Any and all fruit trees and bushes (if it makes fruit it must make a flower first which needs to be pollinated).
Horse chestnut, cherry - bird and wild, sycamore (although everyone hates it it’s actually good for pollinators and makes good firewood and responds well to coppicing.
I observe bees on my oak trees and Scots pines, I think they must be after the sap or something, not sure but they’re there. When in doubt go for diversity.
I’m also planting cotoneaster shrubs and Budleia bushes for pollinators.
Don’t get too hung up on whether it’s for honey bees or bumbles or butterflies or hover flies.
Sounds like you’ll have space to do some more ground/herb later plants: a herb garden - thyme, sage, mints, etc, etc, and anything that is from a cottage garden or weedy old flowers like Mullen, Vipers bugloss, self heal, rather than anything professing to be “better, new, improved” -it isn’t. Extra colour and double flower heads are pretty much useless for bees, most roses, daffodils, etc, are useless to very poor.
If you’ve got a space and in any doubt do clover/vetch/birds foot trefoil/ dead nettles. Archangel is good under trees.
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for bees, most roses, daffodils, etc, are useless to very poor.
If you’ve got a space and in any doubt do clover/vetch/birds foot trefoil/ dead nettles. Archangel is good under trees.
Interesting about daffs, always presumed as early flowers they were good, as usual, I've been prompted to have a read up..
I think they must be desperate round here, I'm sure I've seen bees in there, (I try and grow scented ones, maybe they are different?) Something to watit for and observe. ☺
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I'm adding to Steph's list here:
Yarrow, black eyed susans, echinacea, siberian wallflower, siberian peashrub, flax, false flax, foxglove, shasta daisy, coreopsis, cosmos, sunflower, sweet allysum, marigold, and zinnia.
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If you have space - I would plant a couple of lime trees (as in Tilia cordata, not the sour variety for your gin and tonic). I know it is a longterm thing, but The local lime trees are absolutely buzzing when in flower. We are planting a couple in our field this winter/spring.
Thank you Anke (and Rosemary and Fleecewife) I've had a small leaf lime, bird cherry (thanks Steph Hen) and a couple of others delivered to bring them on at home before I expose them to the extremes of the woodland.
We have abundant amounts of willow and a bit of hazel already well established. I have a hazel at home and might see about planting it out.
Thankfully the snowdrops are out at last and there's signs the daffodils are on their way.
I've got ambitions to get some aconites out within the next couple of years, will probably see if there's potential to put primroses out or similar because I would like to get the coverage of flowers throughout the year as much as possible winter permitting.
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Update, Celandine have come through. Snowdrops arrived, but it was minus seven so died off again.
Have planted a lot of crack willow and have twenty goat willow to put in.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2015/apr/03/goat-willow-start-your-own-bee-orchestra
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Keep an eye out as you’re going about the countryside. Where you see bees on trees, that must be a good one. Some willows are loved by different species. When you see a new one you can take a cutting to grow at home.
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Thanks Steph Hen, I saw a load of bees on the catkins on the crack willow in my garden, it lifted my spirits to see and made me glad I had been propagating cuttings from it for the woodland.