Lupins nearly done what next?

Hi Louloudi

to attract bees you could try foxgloves, aquilegia (granny's bonnets ), geraniums, salvias, vipers bugloss & cornflowers, this is just a few that come to mind. you could google, plants to attract bees, & see what they suggest,

Happy gardening

        val

I have foxgloves, poached egg plant, michaelmas daises, ivy, lonicera, marjoram, buddleia, yellow and purple loosestrife in my garden, which all attract bees. Apparently lavender never fails to attract them (I haven't any at the moment). Don’t be tempted by fancy species such as Lavandula stoechas, but go instead for common, sweet-smelling lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), but select a good variety. For compactness and good, deep colour try ‘Hidcote’, ‘Twickel Purple’ or ‘Munstead’ for its paler, lavender-mauve flowers. Grow it in any free-draining, multi-purpose potting compost.
Prune back the flowers as soon as they are over to stimulate further bloom production.

Here is a link you which I hope you find useful:

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/index.htm

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/gardening_for_bumblebees.htm

 

 This is a list of bee attracting plants but I am sure people will let you know the ones they have personally found successful. All the advice stresses the need to have plants flowering throughout the year to help the bees as much as possible.

 Agrimony (agrimonia eupatoria)
Angelica (angelica archangelica)
Anise Hyssop (agastache foeniculum)
Aubretia
Bergamot (monarda didyma)
Betony
Bird's Foot Trefoil (lotus corniculatus)
Black Horehound (ballota nigra)
Blackthorn (prunus spinosa)
Bloody Cranesbill
Bluebell (hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Borage (borago officinalis)
Bugle (ajuga repens)
Butterbur
Cardoon (cynara cardunculus)
Catmint (nepeta cataria)
Chicory (cichorium intybus)
Chives (allium schoenprasum)
Columbine (aquilegia)
Cornflower (centaurea cyanus)
Foxglove (digitalis)
Germander Speedwell (veronica chamaedrys)
Globe Flower (trollius europaeus)
Globe Thistle (echinops ritro)
Grape Hyacinth
Greater Knapweed (centaurea scabiosa)
Greater Stitchwort
Gypsywort
Hedge Woundwort (stachys sylvestris)
Herb Robert (geranium robertianum)
Hollyhock (althaea rosea)
Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum)
Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis)
Ice Plant (sedum)
Lemon Bergamot
Lady's Smock (cardamine pratensis)
Lambs Ears (stachys byzantine)
Lavender (lavendula)
Lemon Balm (melissa officinalis)
Lesser Celandine
Lovage (levisticum officinale)
Marjoram (origanum majorana)
Marsh Marigold
Meadow Clary (salvia pratensis)
Meadowsweet (filipendula ulmaria)
Apple Mint
Mountain Mint
Mullein (verbascum)
Musk Mallow (malva moschata)
Oxlip
Painted sage (slavia horminum)
Pasque Flower (pulsatilla vulgaris)
Penstemon
Poached Egg (limnanthes douglasii)
Poppy (papaver)
Purple Loosestrife (lythrum salicaria)
Ragged Robin (lychnis flos-cuculi)
Red Clover (trifolium pratense)
Red Valerian (centranthus ruber)
Rock Rose (helianthemum mummularium)
Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis)
Sainfoin (onobrychis vicifolia)
Selfheal (prunella vulgaris)
Small Scabious (scabiosa columbaria)
Spiked Speedwell (veronica spicata)
Sweet Cicely
Sweet William (dianthus barbatus)
Teasel (dipsacus fullonum)
Thyme (thymus)
Tickewwed (coreopsis)
Toadflax (linaria vulgaris)
Valerian (valeriana officinalis)
Viper's Bugloss (echium vulgare)
White Clover
Wild Basil (clinopodium vulgaris)
Wild Clematis (clematis vitalba)
Wild Mignonette (reseda lutea)
Wild Privet (ligustrum vulgare)
Yellow Archangel
Yellow Flag Iris (iris pseudacorus)
Yellow Loosestrife

Hi Louloudi
There are many plants as Jef says that you can get to attract the bees, one of my personal favourites is
It takes no looking after and reappears every year, also seems very suited to cold costal areas

Erygium alpinium Bue Distel – Blue sea Holly

All parts of this plant are highly ornamental. The intense, icy blue and gray flowers are striking with long, pointed bracts that radiate out beneath the flower heads. Hollylike foliage also has a blue hue, gray markings and blue stems. Dazzling in arrangements and borders. Attractive to bees and butterflies, too. Given full sun and any well-drained soil, it will flourish for years, growing upright to 30'' tall and spreading 18-24''. Mine is covered in bees all summer long.

Hi louloudi

I also have a really small garden but have found that rosemary, lavender, ceonothus (sorry - not sure if thats the correct spelling) and honeysuckle keep them very happy over a long period of time. They also seem to like chive flowers and the sedum when it starts to flower.

They also adore golden ivy but it can be so rampant it's not ideal in a small garden

Hope your recruiment goes well, they are such amazing creatures

Eilid

Hello and thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have heard the the lovely hum of bees and am continuing to try to get as many bee friendly plants as possible.

I love the border pictured at RSPB HQ the daisies are similar to the ones I have in my front garden.

I would love Sea Holly it is lovely - does it like a sandy soil?

Thank you for the list I am going to print this out and head straight for the Garden Centre (Note: they will have to drag me on as I am a plantaholic!!). LOL.

 

You are very welcome, I know a list is not as usefull as peoples recommendations but I am glad it was of some help.

I quite envy you now, I do not like shopping generally but do love buying new plants.

Hope you find something special.

Hiya
The sea holly does like well drained soil so I would imagine a sandy soil would suit. We added sand to the soil where it was planted and it thrives. The blue one is the prettiest in my opinion.

louloudi said:

Hello and thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have heard the the lovely hum of bees and am continuing to try to get as many bee friendly plants as possible.

I love the border pictured at RSPB HQ the daisies are similar to the ones I have in my front garden.

I would love Sea Holly it is lovely - does it like a sandy soil?

Thank you for the list I am going to print this out and head straight for the Garden Centre (Note: they will have to drag me on as I am a plantaholic!!). LOL.

Sea Holly would like your soil, lucky you.

Before you take your list to the GS there are a couple of things you need to do to avoid disappointment. Have a look on the internet at the plants you want to buy and see what conditions they like, not all plants like sandy soil. I have a garden full of bee-friendly plants but very few of them would grow in your soil, my soil is heavy clay.

 

Have a look at gardens in your area and see what is attracting the bees. It’s always a good indicator of what will like your soil and is good for bees.

 

I t may be an idea to spread your plant buying over the summer so you always have something in flower.

I forgot to say, if you cut the dead flowers off your Lupins you may get a second flush if flowers later on.