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Honeybees visit flowers to collect pollen which is used to feed their babies, and to collect nectar that will be turned into honey to feed the colony over winter.
There are many flowers you can grow to attract honeybees, but worker bees show a preference for flowers that give them the highest pollen and nectar. Once a honeybee has found the right flower, they return to the nest to perform a little dance, which lets all the others know where those flowers are. Once you have attracted one honeybee to your garden, it won't be long before many others follow.
Here are some of the plants honeybees have been shown to prefer, blue and purple being the most popular colours.
The centre of a sunflower is full of tiny pollen and nectar rich flowers. Each flower forms into a sunflower seed. They are loved by honeybees as well as bumblebees and ladybirds.
Unfortunately our sunflowers didn't last very long this year, as soon as the squirrels spotted them, they formed an effective team and removed all the heads. The first we knew about it was as the last sunflower head was seen running along the wall into the distance; it was a very confusing sight until we spotted the grey legs and busy tail.
Comfrey is great for honeybees and bumblebees as well as many other pollinators. You can also make comfrey feed and comfrey ointment from them.
Willows are a great source of early nectar. But they do tend to grow to rather large proportions. There are smaller species such as Salix caprea or Salix cinerea. If uncertain check with the seller before buying.
Honeybees and other pollinators flock to catmint in droves. They can be a good alternative to lavenders and will produce new flowers when deadheaded.
These are a great source of spring nectar. They are also perfect if you have a shady spot you don't know what to do with. Hellebores don't like to be moved once planted, so plant them in a permanent spot where they will live a long and happy life.
When we added fruiting trees to our garden we couldn't get over the noise from all the buzzing bees. Spring blossom is a magnet for honey bees.
Include apples, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums and pear trees. If you fancy something a bit wilder and native, plant some blackthorns and hawthorns.
Michaelmas daisies flower as summer ends, providing a rich source of autumn pollen and nectar for honeybees.
Compact in size but packed with lots of highly rewarding flowers for the bees. Different species flower at different times so you can get a flowering display from autumn through to winter.
I love wallflowers, they are always covered in bees and other pollinators. In my garden I've found the bright yellow ones are more popular than the mauve ones.
They are long flowering, especially Bowles Mauve and Walberton's Fragrant Sunshine which can flower all year around in my garden when continually deadheaded.
Loved by all bees, butterflies, other pollinators and birds. The Centaurea genus includes cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus - birds love the seeds), mountain cornflowers (Centaurea montana) and common knapweed (Centaurea nigra).
When my Ceanothus (California Lilac) comes into flower in late spring, all other flowers are forgotten about by the honey bees as they favour the blue flowers on this shrub.
Leave weeds to grow in your grass. Dandelions, daisies and clover are often the first flowers to open, giving honeybees vital nectar while they wait for other flowers to open.
The dense blue spires offer a dependable feast throughout the day during the summer months.
Wild forms of cranesbill flower from late spring until early autumn, they do tend to spread quickly but they are a pretty plant and the honey bees enjoy their nectar. Cultivated cranesbill are equally enjoyed by bees from late spring until early autumn, the only difference between the wild variety to the cultivated variety is you will need to cut the cultivated one back after flowering to get more flowers.
Double flowers often have large, extra petals that render the all important pollen and nectar inaccessible. If you are all about the bees only include single flowers.
However, there are insects, such as ladybirds who will hide within the petals.
You are part of the wildlife, so if there is a flower that makes you really happy and it's a double then treat yourself and include it in your garden. I was told bleeding hearts are no good for bees, but I love them, and I've seen bees work their away around these heart shaped flowers as they spear through the petal with their tongue to get to the nectar.
Verbena bonariensis
Fuchsia
Rudbekia - SmileyZ Star of Life has proved popular in my garden
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