Planting a Bee Friendly Garden

Guest Author:  Daniel Roath  

Gardeners are eager to get their plants in the ground as spring approaches. When planning your garden, consider accommodating honeybees and other beneficial pollinators. In return, the bees will pollinate your flowers, increasing your garden's annual yield. 

Here is a helpful guide as you prepare your bee-friendly garden:

• Native wildflowers: Rudbekia, Cosmos, Sunflower, Primula, Coneflower, Aster, and Goldenrod
• Herbs: Lavender, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme
• Berries: Blueberry, Winterberry, Strawberry
• Fruit: Apple, Peach, Cherry, Tomato, Avocado, Kiwi, Pear
• Vegetables: Cucumber, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Onion, Celery, Pumpkin, Squash

Choose plants that attract honey bees based on bloom shape and scent. Bees are drawn to two kinds of flowers. They like to crawl into the shelter of tubular-shaped flowers, and flatter blooms offer easy access. They draw from a variety of pollen and nectar's to satisfy their dietary needs. Plan for season-round blooms, choosing plants with successive blooms to help sustain the bees with a readily available food supply through as many seasons as possible. Grouping bee-friendly plants together will help attract bees.

Provide a fresh water source. Water is used to dilute and dissolve crystallized honey. It can also be evaporated and fanned throughout the hive to cool it during warm weather. Not to mention water is a refreshing drink for bees on a hot day. If you do not have a natural water source to draw from, consider placing a bird bath or shallow dish in your garden.

Plan your garden this year to aid these beneficial pollinators and consider becoming a beekeeper yourself. Brushy Mountain has all the resources to help you get started. Visit BrushyMountainBeeFarm.com for more details.