Bee Friendly Flowers for your Garden

In celebration of Don’t Step On a Bee Day coming up on the 10th of July, we wanted to offer a little advice on the best types of flowers to grow in your garden to attract bees.

In the past bees have gotten quite a bad rap because most people are scared to be stung by them. However it’s unlikely that a bee will sting you, they tend to only do this when they sense danger – so just show them how gentle you are!

Bees are incredibly important to our ecological system, with many plants relying on bees to reproduce which is why over time they’ve adapted over time to become more attractive to the insects. Bees tend to be drawn to plants with open or flat tubular flowers with lots of pollen and nectar, and an appealing scent.

So now you know why bees are important, lets look at which flowers you should grow to lure them to your garden and provide a safe haven them and other pollinators.

Lavender

Lavender usually blooms from Summer to Autumn, but can bloom all year round in milder climates. It likes the sun and should only be in the shade in hot climates.

A common mistake when caring for you lavender is overwatering, so make sure not to drown it!

As well as attracting bees, lavender can repel mosquitos and flies.

Verbena

Verbena is very similar to lavendar and includes over 250 species of both annual and perennial plants.

These flowers also enjoy being mostly in the sun and need well draining soil. Verbena can take over a month to germanate, and once grown you should remove spent blooms to encourage more to grow.

Verbena is also known to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Bee Balm

Bee Balm is a fragrant, nectar filled flower that is part of the mint family. It blooms from later Spring to Autumn

Bee Balm prefers sun although shade is better in hot climates. Ensure soil is rich and moist.

As well as bees, Bee Balm will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Sunflower

Sunflowers are always a striking addition to your garden, and make sure to choose pollen-bearing varieties to invite the bees to your garden. Generally they bloom from Summer to Autumn depending on when they are planted.

These tall plants require an area that gets the sun all day, and they may need growing support from a stake.

Sunflowers will attract bees and birds to your garden.

Marigold

These annual flowers bloom from late Spring until Winter and are a colourful addition to any garden.

Marigolds are easy to grow, requiring full sun and warm temperatures along with moist soil. Sow the seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost or directly outside after.

These gorgeous flowers will attract butterflies too, while repelling pest insects like cabbage moths.

These are just a few of the many flowers that will attract bees to your garden to feed, but if you are looking for a large variety at once, try our Seedboms from Kabloom. These are biodegradable cases full of flower seeds that you simply throw to grow.

Let us know your favourite flowers to attract bees in the comments below – and tag us in your photos on Facebook and Instagram so we can enjoy your beautiful gardens too!