Impresive spikes of hooded flowers in a range of colours that begin blooming early in the spring and continue all summer long. Spread 50cm. Many modern hybrids are sterile and don't offer any sustenance to bees. If ordering plug plants, they may need to be grown on in a well lit, warm location before hardening off and planting out, whereas garden-ready plants can be planted straight into beds. Grows to about 25cm tall. 1. The ultimate bee-friendly, wildlife-friendly plants. Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus). Late-flying species, such as the common carder bumblebee and the solitary ivy bee, may be seen. Just as we're realising how important they (and other pollinating insects) are to us, we're discovering just how much human activity is putting them in danger. 11 bee-friendly plants: Spring. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work, Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips – all to help you grow successfully, For the latest on RHS Shows in 2021, read more, RHS members get free access to RHS Gardens, Free entry to RHS members at selected times », Reduced prices on RHS Garden courses and workshops, General enquiries Many showy plants that have double blooms or multi-petal flowers lack nectar and pollen and are very difficult to get to for bees. Even those of us with little more than a patio, balcony or a windowbox can help. Maintaining, seeding, or planting with these ‘bumblebee plants’ especially those with bee-friendly flowers is key. The large flowers look up boldly from branched plants over a long season in summer and autumn; deadhead carefully to avoid leaving unsightly stalks. Bees can see the colour purple more clearly than any other colour, and some of the best bee plants, such as lavender, alliums, buddleja and catmint, have purple flowers. The flowers bloom from May to November. More often seen in white, alyssum, Lobularia maritima, creeps around and makes fragrant annual ground cover or trails from pots. Favorite English Garden Bee-Friendly Plants – Heliotrope Heliotrope is an annual with an intense fruity fragrance and clusters of deep violet or purple flowers that reach toward the sun. Cover your garden in colour over Summer, Autumn, Winter and right back through to Spring again with our vibrant bedding plants and plugs. Number one on my list of top 10 bee friendly flowers is a favourite of mine, the comfrey. This mix of plants loves partial shade or sun. Best plants for bees – purple flowers. Pieris japonica 'Valley Valentine' is an all-year-rounder. So, if you want to breathe new life into your garden, courtyard or balcony, or are keen to freshen up your space with some seasonal colour, let's talk about bedding plants. 1. Bee and Butterfly friendly perennial plug plants. Traditional annual bedding plants like Geraniums, Begonias, Busy Lizzy, Petunias, Polyanthus or Salvia splendens have virtually no pollen and nectar and are of little value to pollinators. Oregano, in common with many herbs, is very attractive to bees and planting a herb garden is a good way to bring bees into the garden. The Easter Bonnet Series comes in seven other colours including yellow, violet and rich red. It's hard to escape the buzz surrounding bees at the moment. Water, feed and deadhead them regularly to keep the flowers coming. This mix of plants loves partial shade or sun. This summer, the Blooms for Bees project and our partners at The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are investigating the use of Chaenostoma (also known as bacopa or sutera) and bird’s foot trefoil as bee-friendly container plants. It will also attract all kinds of beneficial insects. Whether you fill your outside space with your favourite plants, or you’re going to try something new this year, our summer bedding collection includes lingering scents, vibrant colours and a whole range of sizes. Bee-Friendly Plants. Late-flying species, such as the common carder bumblebee and the solitary ivy bee, may be seen. One of the simplest is to grow plants that are rich in nectar and pollen. For suggestions on which plants to use in your Bee-Friendly Garden, take a look at Aussie Bee's list of Ten Favourite Flowers Loved by Australian Native Bees.. Height 20-30cm. Ideal in patio containers, where growing tall cosmos would be unrealistic, these varieties grow to about knee height and their white, pink and carmine flowers open over a long period from June to autumn. For bee-friendly salvias, look for Salvia Nemerosa, a small perennial with blue flowers, or clary sage, a versatile hedgerow plant with midsummer pink flowers. Summer - Tall flowerheads with crowns of deep, curved flowers visited by long-tongued bees such as the Garden bumblebee, Common carder bee, and Wool carder bee. Digitalis Castor Cream Plug Plant. Summer bedding plants add instant colour to your borders, baskets and containers. We’ve taken the guesswork out of getting your garden ready for summer. Please note that these are not exhaustive lists. RHS Garden Hyde Hall Spring and Orchid Show, Free entry to RHS members at selected Here's a choice selection of plants for pollinators, all of which are ideal for pots and small spaces. A shady patio is the ideal site for a pieris – in particular because it thrives in large containers which, in areas with unsuitable garden soil, can be filled with the ericaceous compost it needs. Classic cottage garden favourites. Bedding plants give your garden an instant lift, reviving even the most tired and neglected of outdoor spaces. Give it extra water during dry periods. Still, it's not an expensive plant to buy and can be propagated by cuttings in late summer. Pieris japonica 'Valley Valentine' is an all-year-rounder. Bee Balm. Discover a range of bee-friendly plants, perfect for attracting pollinators. A useful bedder for a shader site as well as sunny spots. Bedding Plants. Lavender is great for bees and other insects - if it's free of neonicotinoids. Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve' is a lovely perennial wallflower that flowers for months on end – a feast for the eyes and a feast for pollinators, especially in the hungry days of late winter and early spring. Summer Bedding Plants Autumn Winter & Spring Bedding Plants Colour Themed & Hanging Baskets ... Shop bee-friendly plants. Cherry Pie (Heliotropium arborescens). Shop now Seeds & Bulbs Stock up on seeds and bulbs to attract bees to your beds and borders. Verbena rigida is a perennial that’s not always hardy in the garden, but shunted into a sheltered place for the winter, it has a good chance. Over the past 5 years, Dave has been studying the effects of pesticides on our wild bees, with a particular focus on pesticides called neonicotinoids – or neonics – which harm bees and other pollinating insects.They are widely used in agriculture and horticulture, and are sold by most … Grow as a half-hardy annual. Perfect for the front of sunny borders or pots. These plants are a magnet to Bees and Butterflies thanks to their sweet honey scented flowers and our pick for warm fragrant patio display this summer. *Bee’s Friend or Phacelia (P. tanacetifol is an annual, other Phacelias may be a perennial) I was slow to come to know Phacelia. The rich, purple flowers bloom from late June until the autumn above very dark green textured foliage. Blooming from late spring until the autumn. Pre Planted Baskets. All three varieties in the British-bred Apollo Series are some of the very best shorter cosmos - and the bees and butterflies love them. Give it extra water during dry periods. In particular, long-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus hortorum tend to favour deep flowers, and of course short-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus terrestris prefer shallow flowers. By having several plant species flowering at once, and a sequence of plants flowering through spring, summer, and fall, you can support a range of bee species that fly at different times of the season. Special Offers Flowers & Plants. And each small, lilac flower has an eye that opens yellow and matures to raspberry pink, adding to their appeal. Plants for Cut Flowers. It makes a dense spreading plant, perfect for the front of the border or on the edge of a pot. Dead-head the flowers as they go over or leave the seeds to ripen for the birds later in the year. The perennial plant thrives in growing zones 5-10, blooms in midsummer, and can grow up to 3 foot tall and 3 foot wide at full maturity. This is a dependable, low-maintenance plant, often with fragrances reminiscent of vanilla. Ever popular as an easy plant to grow from seed, Sunflowers now come in a range of sizes and colours, including yellow, red and white. you are choosing bedding plants, do not select F1 and F2 hybrids. 1. Credit: Thinkstock . Please see individual products for more detailed information. If you are using annuals Or enjoy it as an annual. Company Number Reg. Please note that these are not exhaustive lists. View the full pollinator-friendly bedding range online. Thompson & Morgan have some great plants that can help feed bees during the spring. We have two of these plants in our garden and the bumblebees flock around them every single day. The 'Bee Friendly' mix is lushly flowering and wonderfully fragrant. Honeybees will come out to feed … This is a herb that was used extensively both in medicine and in improving the soil of gardens. It grows to about 1.2m tall. I’m not sure why; it is an awesome plant. The small white flowers, their scent attracting precocious bees and other pollinators, open at the leaf joints but are usually hidden by the neat glossy leaves. 2. Discover a range of bee-friendly plants, perfect for attracting pollinators. Delphinium Magic Fountains Dark Blue/White Bee Plug Plant. Just two of the 29 plants tested contained no insecticide or fungicide Its glossy evergreen foliage emerges coppery-red and is a feature in its own right. Bedding Plants. Large Plants Premium Bedding Plants Mega Plants; Size Illustration: Size from the base of the plant to the top of the stem: 4-8cm: 6-10cm: 7-11cm: 8-14cm: 11-16cm: Width: 1.3cm: 2cm: 4.2cm: 3.5cm - 4.2cm: 5.6cm: Quantity: Trays of 170: Trays of 70: Trays of 24 Plants: Trays of 6, 12 or 24: Trays of 12 Plants Sometimes short-tongued bees rob deep flowers by biting a hole in the side of the … Plants listed in the annuals category are found below. Chives are a perennial herb, once planted they will come back reliably year after year. Salvias (Salvia species). Bees love all members of the Allium family, which includes chives and onions, both of which flower. Just as we're realising how important they (and other pollinating insects) are to us, we're discovering just how much human activity is putting them in danger. Not all plants provide these two basic needs. Here are my top 10 plants that are perfect for pollinators: ... A vibrant summer bedding plant that will greet you with bright, fiery flowers and aromatic leaves. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). This mix contains: 1x Salvia hybrida 'Misty' But problems of availability of wildlife-friendly bedding arise if you would prefer not to grow your own from seed. to plant bee-friendly gardens. I know that (some) of the retailers are going to try to address this, and that it will take time for their suppliers to get in gear, but are there some companies that are leading this effort, and/or, what as a … Discover why native bees are so important for pollination.. And now that you have a Bee-Friendly Garden, why not set up some Bee Hotels to provide nesting sites for your local solitary bees. High on the list of bee friendly plants is Oregano also known as Marjoram which attracts bees and a diverse range of pollinators. White clover is also known as Dutch clover, white trefoil, and creeping Trifolium. As far as I know, plants labelled ‘bee-friendly’ are just as likely to have been treated as other flowers. They have no need for pollinators, most produce no nectar or pollen and most are sterile. The best thing about bedding plants is the boost of colour they bring to your garden displays. There's a huge range of varieties avaialable and any number of combinations but if you're keen on wildlife you may want to make sure the plants you choose are popular with bees too. Beedance Bidens drew a swarm of attention during the 2015 IPM in Germany where it also won the golden innovation Award for the best new bedding and balcony plant. It will also attract all kinds of beneficial insects. Hardy annuals, they grow to just 15cm high. They are bred for certain traits such as dwarfing, larger blooms, different colours or double blooms. Garden centres selling 'bee-friendly' plants laced with pesticides that harm them, study finds. After years of research we've produced the RHS Plants for Pollinators lists and logo to help gardeners find the best plants for these beautiful bugs. The 'Bee Friendly' mix is lushly flowering and wonderfully fragrant. Is there a list of suppliers for bee-friendly neonicotinoid-free bedding plants this spring? More bee-friendly advice: Make a bee-friendly garden; Plants for bees throughout the year; Spring bulb pot for bees (video) Wildlife gardening expert, Kate Bradbury, explains how you can help bees at this time of year by providing food and shelter, below. Aster is a perennial flowering bee-friendly plant genus grown throughout Europe. Bluebells are a honey bee favorite. What we mean by 'secret' is that it’s easy to miss the white winter flowers of Sarcococca 'Dragon Gate' because they’re usually hidden among the evergreen foliage of this small shrub. Sweet Alyssum bears it's heads of honey scented flowers in white and shades of pink and purple from late spring to the end of summer. As patio plants go it has one of the longest of all flowering seasons, from June almost to November if deadheaded promptly. Surfinias and Petunias. That said, many flowers in other colours will still attract bees, so don’t pull them up! Keep picking them to promote more and more flowers. pollinator friendly planting suggestions on page 11. One of the biggest problems for pollinators is a lack of flowering plants, especially those packed with pollen and nectar, so in 2011 we launched the Perfect for Pollinators logo to encourage gardeners to grow more of them. It is essential that we support our bee population with a variety of pollen- and nectar-rich, bee-attracting flowers. But the scent is unmissable, and if you grow it you’ll be looking around for the source of the fragrance. Alliums and Chives. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. Large Plants Premium Bedding Plants Mega Plants; Size Illustration: Size from the base of the plant to the top of the stem: 4-8cm: 6-10cm: 7-11cm: 8-14cm: 11-16cm: Width: 1.3cm: 2cm: 4.2cm: 3.5cm - 4.2cm: 5.6cm: Quantity: Trays of 170: Trays of 70: Trays of 24 Plants: Trays of 6, 12 or 24: Trays of 12 Plants Shop now Shrubs A selection of bee-friendly shrubs to attract bees to your own garden. Endless supplies of sweetly fragrant flowers on climbing stems throughout the summer in a range of colours. Goldenrod is yet another member of the bee-friendly aster family. Make a bee-friendly garden; Plants for bees throughout the year; Spring bulb pot for bees (video) Wildlife gardening expert, Kate Bradbury, explains how you can help bees at this time of year by providing food and shelter, below. Thrift (Armeria maritima): Bright pink clusters of flowers make this a welcome addition to any garden. The UK’s native species is the sea aster which grows in salt marshes and flowers in late summer. Head over to our guide to bee friendly plants for more great ways to encourage lots of pollinators to your garden. Keep in mind that many of these have the added bonus of attracting other pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds, as well. More Patio Plants. 2. I’m not sure why; it is an awesome plant. Alpines & Rockery Plants Bamboo Plants Bedding Plants Conifer Plants Climbing Plants Drought Tolerant Plants Exotic Plants Grass Plants Hedging Plants Pond Plants Wildflower Plants. Save the bees with bee friendly varieties. The flowers bloom from May to November. Certain plants depend on wind and water to pollinate, but most rely on animal pollination from bees, butterflies, birds and even bats. Share: Bidens 'Hawaiian Flare' Perfectly formed for baskets and patio pots, you'll be amazed at the volume of flowers produced. Bedding plants are usually planted out in April to June for summer bedding plants and either later in the year or early in spring for autumn/winter bedding plants. The large daisy flowers come in a terrific range of both hot and pastel colours, blooming right up to the frosts. The dark-leaved Dahlia Happy Single Series look great on a patio – among them, Happy Single Flame certainly stands out. These plants are some of the last bloomers of the season and provide much-needed food, before the onset of winter. Many flowers are attractive to bees, with different types of bee varying in their particular preferences. Michaelmas daisies are superb food plants for many pollinators, although double-flowered forms are certainly far less valuable than single-flowered types. Choose bee friendly plants that have easy to reach pollen with open, daisy-like flowers, such as asters, cosmos and geraniums. Well, help is at hand. Shop now Shrubs A selection of bee-friendly shrubs to attract bees to your own garden. View the full pollinator-friendly bedding range online. A shady patio is the ideal site for a pieris – in particular because it thrives in large containers which, in areas with unsuitable garden soil, can be filled with the ericaceous compost it needs. Luckily, gardeners can play a big part giving a helping hand to the wild creatures who share our world.