Lockdown has inspired more and more people to enter the world of gardening. If you would like your garden to be visited by bees that will help your flowers pollinate and help the environment, you might benefit from these tips to attract bees to your home. At AB’s Honey we are Australian Beekeepers and know a bit about pollination and having a bee-friendly garden.
1. Plant bee-friendly flowers
Bees need a substantial amount of nectar and pollen, therefore you should concentrate on planting single-top flowers that produce the most pollen, such as daisies and marigolds. These spring flowers make it easier for a bee to land and access pollen, compared to more extravagant-looking multi-headed flowers.
2. Plant to ensure year-round blooms
Though bees work primarily in the spring and summer months, they are not entirely inactive during the autumn and winter months. That is a time when bees would especially benefit from flowering plants, and planting flowers and trees that will bloom at different parts of the year will help hives survive.
Winter
Cold-weather plants that are more textured, such as snowdrops and heather, allow bees to land and rest on them. Find winter plants that will grow in your area of Australia here.
Autumn
Try opting for dahlias or honeysuckle, which are less susceptible and more resilient towards the changing weather.
Summer
Flowers like lavender and bluebells are perfect for the summer since they are more attractive to the ultra-violet vision of honeybees.
3. Create resting spots
By creating resting spots for bees around your garden, you will be encouraging them to come to hang out. Bees will be able to take shelter in your garden, and even breed if they feel comfortable enough. Your makeshift bee resting spot can be a pot of clay turned into a bee hotel or a pile of logs. Just ensure that it is facing sunlight, and the bees are not disturbed. You can also create water stations for them by filling a bowl of water with stones to land on.
4. Let your weeds grow
Plants such as dandelions and climbing ivy create a surface area that is easy for bees to land on and will encourage them to keep visiting your garden. Consider laying off the weeder for a while and embracing the natural feel of your garden. If you do choose to weed your garden, ensure that you do not use chemicals to kill weeds as you will risk harming your bee guests, along with the other wildlife in your garden.
So that is how to have a bee-friendly garden all year round.
Bees pollinate many plants that are essential to humans and they give us delicious honey. AB’s Honey provides the best honey in its purest form all over Australia. You can find a range of table honey’s, Australian Manuka and honey-related products in our online shop.
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