Find out the benefits bees bring to your garden and learn how you can attract more.
Bees are by far are the best natural pollinators and without these little buzzing creatures there would be far fewer flowers, fruits and vegetables in this world!
Why do bees visit your plants?
Nectar – Is the main source of energy for a bee. It is loaded with sugars and is a vital part of a bees diet.
Pollen – This part of your plant gives a bee all the protein and fat it requires for a healthy balanced diet.
Encouraging bees into your garden will help increase pollination and give you more flowers. Check out my top tips for attracting bees into your garden which will help your garden to flourish.
Choosing the right flowers
Make sure your garden is filled with a wide range of plants that will offer bees and other pollinators such as butterflies a great variety of flowers, pollen and nectar throughout the entire growing season. Local native plants are usually the best for bees especially perennials and herbs that offer fantastic sources of pollen and nectar.
Bees have good colour vision so choose plants with a variety of coloured flowers. The colours that really attract bees are blue, purple, violet, white and yellow.
Instead of spacing out your plants keep them in clusters as this will attract more bees . Clusters in planters and raised beds will look great in your garden.
Keep your gardens flowering for as long as possible. Plan a range of different plants that flower at different times of the year to keep your garden filled with nectar and pollen for as long as possible.
Avoid using pesticides or if you cannot avoid it try to find ones that are the least toxic.
Jacks top tip – “Today there are many hybridized plants available that have been enhanced and altered from their natural state in order to increase their resistance, flower size, colour or bloom. Although these plants may seem more attractive to humans they are not to bees. Hybridized plants have a reduced production of nectar and pollen and in some cases the plant is completely sterile and therefore useless to a bee.”
For more information about various gardening topics visit my blog at Jacks Garden Store. Here you will also find a fantastic range of affordable outdoor products.
Good Luck
Gardener Jack!
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