to SAVE the BEES
FEED the BEES
naturally
FLOWERS MEAN BEES MEAN FLOWERS
BEES NEED FLOWERS FOR FOOD AND ENERGY
that’s it
(and sometimes for shelter)
that’s really it!
most flowers need bees and other pollinators to reproduce
it’s a beautiful symbiotic relationship
that has been evolving for more than
100,000,000 YEARS
So let’s rethink the concept of a flower from a bee’s point of view.
Some trees are flowers to bees;
fruit bushes are flowers to bees;
vegetables and salads that we grow are flowers to bees:
WHAT MANY DISMISS AS WEEDS ARE ACTUALLY VITAL FLOWERS FOR BEES AND OTHER INSECTS
and of course…flowers are flowers to bees.
***(except some aren’t and we’ll get to that later!
Bees need food from when they first emerge any time from early spring right up until the last queen goes into hibernation in late autumn.
So to help our struggling bees let’s make sure we help nature provide them with as much food as they need.
LET'S BECOME
FLORALLY ACTIVE
AND
FLORALLY AWARE!
PESTICIDES KILL AND HARM BEES
When buying seed, plants and bulbs you should be aware that they more often than not come pretreated with a cocktail of bee harming poisonous chemicals.
Seek out and ask for organic or untreated plants and seed.
Plant swap from trusted sources.
Save your own seed.
If you care about bees, insects, nature and yourself
NEVER
use pesticides:
insecticides, fungicides, herbicides
EVER!
NEVER!
‘weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them’
– winnie the pooh
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO REVEAL SOME BRIEF INFORMATION
Dandelion
Bees best friend. EARLY forage. LATE forage. Long flowering period. March – Dec.
Brambles
Loved by bees. Vital cover for insects, birds and vertebrates. Autumn fruiting. In flower May – September.
Foxglove
Bumblebees are their main pollinator. Long flowering period. Flower June/July/August. Beautiful but poisonous!
Thistle
Thistle is a vital plant. Superb late forage. Flowers June – Sept. Bees, butterflies and hoverflies love it.
Dock
Wind pollinated but visited by bees. Long roots good for soil. Thrive in nitrogen rich soil. Perennial.
White Campion
Pollen attracts bees and hoverflies. Flowers May – Oct. Late source of forage. Flowers stay open at night and feed moths.
Ragwort
Flowers June to November. Loved by bumblebees, solitary bees, hoverflies, butterflies, beetles. Toxic to some animals and people.
Nettle
Great wildlife attractors. Foodplant for small tortoiseshell/peacock butterfly caterpillars. Ladybirds feed on aphids they shelter. Should be in every garden.
Corn Marigold
Very long flowering period. Flowers June – October. Great late forage source. Bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies will thank you.
Willowherb
Source of nectar and pollen. Late forage provider. Flowers June – September. Pioneer plant.
Tufted vetch
Flowers June – Sept. Great bee plant. Butterflies and ladybirds love it too. Pea family.
Cornflower
Easy to grow. Loads of nectar. Flower all summer. Great plant to get your kids to grow.
‘I DREAM of a quiet man who EXPLAINS NOTHING and defends nothing, but only knows where the RAREST WILDFLOWERS are BLOOMING, and who goes, and finds that he is SMILING not by his own will’
– Wendell Berry
Corncockle
Flowers May to September. Loved by bees and other beneficial insects. Poisonous – be aware.
Bird's foot trefoil
Flowers June, July and August. A hugely important plant for wildlife. Nectar rich flower. We love it.
Borage
Flowers June to August. Borage is an amazing plant for bees. It’s an annual herb worthy of any garden.
Devil's Bit Scabious
Flowers June – October. Vital nectar source for late flying butterflies, bees and hoverflies. One of our favourites.
Tufted Vetch
Flowers June – Sept. Great bee plant. Butterflies and ladybirds love it too. Pea family.
Field Scabious
Flowers July to September. Bees best friend. Long flowering period. Seeds also feed the birds.
Snowdrops
Very early nectar and pollen source. Flowers January – March. Flower when very little else is available. Plant native untreated bulbs in Autumn.
Self-heal
Flowers June, July, August. Loved by bees, moths, butterflies and other insects. Late forage source.
Phacelia
Bees best friend. Long flowering period. Very attractive to pollinators. Valuable end of season food source. Succession sow.
Musk Mallow
Flowers July, August, September. A good pollen and nectar plant for bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Late forage.
Lesser Knapweed
Flowers June to September. It is one of the most amazing bee plants around. Arguably the best plant in terms of its wildlife value.
Sunflower
A valuable food source for bees, insects and birds. They are also very easy to grow, perfect for children. Sow some fun.
‘And when our bodies rise again, they will be wildflowers, then rabbits, then wolves singing a perfect love to the beautiful meaningless moon.’
– Philip Appleman
Clover
Flowers June to September. Highly attractive to a number of bee species – with an especially high value to bumblebees.
California Poppy
Flowers June to August and sometimes into September. The papery flowers attract bees, hoverflies and butterflies. They are easy to grow.
Cosmos
Attracts bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. So easy to grow. Long flowering and fabulous feature plants.
Cuckoo Flower
Flowers April to June. Provides early food for bees, flies, moths and butterflies. The main larval plant for the Orange Tip butterfly.
Lavender
Flowers June to August. Produces pollen and nectar. A favourite herb, great for bees and butterflies. Grow your own from organic seed.
Poppy
Poppies are wildlife-friendly plants having abundant, accessible pollen for bees, hoverflies and other pollen dependant insects.
Primrose
Flowers March to May. Wild primroses provides early food for bees. Do not mix up with the brightly coloured garden primroses which are mainly useless.
Marigold
Great for their ability to attract and feed pollinating insects right up to and through the early frosts. Easy to grow and they self seed.
Willow
Blooms February and March. Wonderful native tree. Abundant source of pollen and nectar. Really important early food for bees.
Snake's Head Fritilary
Flowers March to April. Great early source of nectar for bees in spring. Plant organic/chemical free bulbs in autumn.
Buckwheat
Flowers from July to September. A green manure, which when allowed flower is great for all bumblebees, solitary bees and hoverflies.
Bush vetch
Flowers April to November. Beneficial flower for bees and insects. A favourite of carder bees here on the sanctuary.
