How to Make Your Garden a Summertime Bee Paradise
Summer is a time of abundance for bees. Flowers are in bloom, providing plenty of nectar and pollen for these important pollinators. You can help bees thrive by creating a bee-friendly garden. Here are some tips:
Provide Food
Bees need a variety of flowers to provide them with the nutrition they need. Choose flowers that bloom throughout the summer, so that there is always something for bees to eat. Some good choices include:
- Allium
- Aquilegia vulgaris
- Bergamot (Monarda didyma)
- Buddleja
- Comfrey
- Coneflower (echinacea)
- Dahlia
- Evening primrose
- Foxglove
- Gaura lindheimeri
- Lavender
- Poppy (annual and oriental)
- Sunflowers
- Thyme
- Verbena
Provide Water
Bees need water to cool their nests and to drink. Place a few stones or a shallow dish of water in your garden, and make sure to keep it clean.
Provide Shelter
Bees need shelter from the sun, rain, and wind. You can provide shelter by planting hedges or shrubs, or by leaving some areas of your garden uncultivated. You can also provide nesting boxes for solitary bees and bumblebees.
Other Tips
- Allow some areas of grass to grow wildflowers.
- Avoid using pesticides and herbicides, which can harm bees.
- Plant native plants, which are adapted to your local climate and provide food and shelter for bees.
By following these tips, you can create a garden that is buzzing with bees all summer long.
Uncultivated Areas
Leaving some areas of your garden uncultivated provides nesting sites for solitary bees and bumblebees. These bees nest in the ground, so they need access to bare soil. You can create uncultivated areas by:
- Leaving a patch of grass uncut.
- Creating a small pile of woody prunings in a corner of your garden.
- Leaving a few bare spots in your flower beds.
Dog Roses
Dog roses (Rosa canina) are a great source of nectar and pollen for bees. They also provide nesting material for leafcutter bees. Plant dog roses in wildlife hedges or at the back of borders.
Weeds in Grass
Allowing some areas of grass to grow wildflowers provides an easy source of nectar for bees throughout the summer. Some good wildflowers for bees include:
- Daisies
- Dandelions
- Clover
- Vetch
- Self-heal
Water Sources
Bees need water to cool their nests and to drink. Place a few stones or a shallow dish of water in your garden, and make sure to keep it clean. You can also provide a birdbath, but make sure the water is shallow enough for bees to reach.
Nectar-Rich Plants
The following plants are all nectar-rich and attractive to bees:
- Allium
- Aquilegia vulgaris
- Bergamot (Monarda didyma)
- Buddleja
- Comfrey
- Coneflower (echinacea)
- Dahlia
- Evening primrose
- Foxglove
- Gaura lindheimeri
- Lavender
- Poppy (annual and oriental)
- Sunflowers
- Thyme
- Verbena
Plant a variety of these flowers in your garden to provide bees with a continuous supply of food.
By following these tips, you can create a garden that is a haven for bees. Bees are essential pollinators, so by providing them with food, water, and shelter, you are helping to support the environment.