Attracting bees to your garden is not only an essential way to support essential pollinator populations, but is also an opportunity to enjoy lively, colorful, and productive outdoor spaces. Bees play a vital role in the pollination of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, ensuring the biodiversity and health of ecosystems and the future of our nation’s food supply. By selecting the right plants and using bee-friendly strategies, you can create a garden that hums with life all season long, while doing your part to protect and sustain these all-important, must-have pollinators.
In this guide we’ll cover what are the best plants to attract bees, effective garden design strategies, and how to provide year-round support for these crucial pollinators.
Garden Design and Planting Strategies
The layout of your garden plays a big role in attracting bees and providing them with the resources they need to continue to thrive. A few simple, yet essential design strategies can help you make your garden more inviting.
- Cluster your plantings: Bees are more likely to notice groups of flowers rather than single plants. By planting in drifts or clusters, you create larger targets for bees to spot from a distance.
- Provide sunny locations: Most bee-friendly plants, such as Lavender, Sunflowers, and Coneflowers, thrive in full sun. Make sure to place your plants in areas that receive plenty of sunlight to adequately create a bee haven.
- Vary flower shapes: Different species of bees are attracted to different flower shapes. For example, long-tongued bees (mason, leafcutter and resin bees; also bumble bees and Nomad bees) prefer tubular flowers like Salvia and Bee Balm, while short-tongued bees (mining bees, end-banded furrow bees and base-banded furrow bees) are drawn to daisy-shaped blooms like Black-eyed Susan. Honeybees are somewhere in the middle-on the short end of long. Including a mix of flower types ensures that your garden appeals to a variety of bee species.
- Leave bare ground: Not all bees nest in hives—many, like mining bees, nest in the ground. Leaving some bare patches of soil allows these bees to build their nests and thrive.
Your Seasonal Planting Guide
Early Spring Blooms for Bees
Bees emerge from hibernation in early spring and begin searching for nectar and pollen as their first and primary food source. Providing early blooming plants ensures that bees can find what they need right when they need it most.
- Crocus, Snowdrops, and Hyacinths are some of the earliest bloomers. These hardy flowers often push through the last remnants of snow to brighten your garden with their vibrant colors. They also provide much-needed nectar to bees just waking up from their winter rest.
- Alyssum and Wild Plums are also wonderful early spring bloomers that bees absolutely love. Their sweet scent and clustered flowers are bee magnets in the early months of the growing season.
Summertime Buzz—Keep the Nectar Flowing
As the temperatures rise, summer becomes the busiest time for bees. This is when it’s important to keep the blooms coming, ensuring that bees have a stable and endless supply of food throughout the warmer months.
For early summer:
- Lavender is one of the top choices. Its fragrant flowers and long-lasting blooms attract bees in droves.
- Catmint, Calendula, and Campanula are also fantastic summer bloomers. They provide nectar, are easy to grow, and add lovely pops of color to your garden spaces.
For Mid-summer:
you’ll want to continue with plants like:
- Coneflowers (Echinacea) and Black-eyed Susans. These are native plants that are drought- tolerant, while their large, open flowers attract bees.
- Salvia, Bee Balm, and Anise Hyssop are essential for bees as well. They are rich in nectar and bloom for an extended period, keeping your garden buzzing all season long.
- For a real show-stopper, plant Sunflowers. Their bold blooms are perfect for attracting bees and they can serve as an eye-catching focal point in your bee garden.
Late Summer to Fall—Extend the Season for Bees
As summer winds down, bees still need food sources to help sustain them as they prepare for the colder months. Choosing late-blooming plants ensures that bees remain active and healthy until through the fall, while also ensuring your flower gardens have blossoming plants and enduring color all season long.
- Goldenrod and Asters are key players in late summer to early fall. These plants are packed with nectar and will be blooming when other flowers start to fade.
- Sedum (Stonecrop) is another late bloomer that adds texture to your garden and gives bees an important food source well into autumn.
- Maximilian Sunflowers and Joe-Pye Weed continue to provide nectar late into the fall season, allowing bees to stock up before winter.
Perennials, Herbs, and Shrubs That Attract Bees
Perennials are a smart investment for bee-friendly gardens because they come back year after year. Lavender, Catmint, and Coneflowers are fantastic perennials that also happen to be low maintenance.
Herbs like Rosemary, Thyme, and Borage not only provide culinary benefits, but are bee-friendly plants that bloom beautifully. These herbs are often fragrant and are favorites among bees because of their plentiful flowers.
Shrubs like Butterfly Bush and Buttonbush are perfect choices for larger spaces. They provide structure to your garden and offer consistent blossoms throughout the summer.
The Importance of Plant Diversity
To attract and support bees, it’s important to plant a wide variety of flowers that bloom at different times throughout the year. This ensures that bees have access to nectar and pollen from early spring through late fall. By incorporating a mix of bulbs, perennials, annuals, herbs, and shrubs, you’ll create a garden that’s not only beautiful, but undeniably vital for the survival of bee populations.
Your efforts will pay off as you see your garden come alive with bees and other pollinators, creating a healthy, thriving ecosystem in your own backyard. So, dig in and start planting! The bees will thank you for it.
Water Sources for Bees
Like all creatures, bees need water to survive. Adding water features to your garden is essential and can make a huge difference in attracting bees and keeping them hydrated.
- Shallow water sources: Bees prefer shallow water they can safely land on. You can create a simple DIY bee bath by filling a shallow dish with water and placing small pebbles or stones in it for the bees to perch on while drinking.
- Keep it clean: Regularly refresh the water in your bee bath to ensure it stays clean and safe for bees.
Pesticide Considerations
One of the biggest threats to bee populations is the use of harmful pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids. Check the active ingredients of pesticides before purchasing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all pesticides identify the active ingredients on their label, along with its percentage by weight. The most commonly marketed neonicotinoids are: acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, sulfoxalor, thiacloprid, and thiamexthoxam. These chemicals can severely impact bees’ ability to forage, navigate, and reproduce, as well as being a devastating danger to birds and the environment.
- Avoid pesticides whenever possible. Opt for organic pest control methods like neem oil or insecticidal soaps that won’t harm bees.
- If inorganic pesticides are absolutely necessary, apply them carefully. Only spray these pesticides in the evening, when bees are less active, and avoid spraying flower buds or actively blooming flowers.
Different Types of Bees and Their Needs
Not all bees are the same. There are many different species, each with its own nesting habits and preferences:
- Mason bees and Carpenter bees nest in wood or cavities. Leaving dead stems or installing a bee house can provide nesting sites for these species.
- Mining bees need bare ground to dig their nests, so leaving patches of exposed soil will help them thrive.
- Bumble bees are social bees that typically nest in the ground. Providing ground cover or leaving some undisturbed areas of your garden soil can encourage Bumble bees to make their home nearby.
Year-Round Support for Bees
Bees need more than just flowers to survive. By creating a bee-friendly habitat, you can provide year-round support for these essential pollinators.
- Leave seed heads in your garden over the winter. Plants like Sunflowers and Coneflowers produce seeds that not only feed overwintering birds but also provide shelter for bees during the colder months.
- Leave dead stems and natural materials. Many bees use these materials to nest, so avoid over-pruning or clearing out all plant debris.
- Create windbreaks. Bees often struggle to forage in high winds, so planting hedges or using windbreaks can create a more stable environment for them to gather nectar.
Beyond Plants—Creating the Ideal Habitat for Bees
To take your bee-friendly garden a step further, consider supplying bee houses or leaving nesting areas for ground-nesting species. Bee houses provide shelter for solitary bees like Mason bees, while leaf litter or piles of natural debris offer safe places for ground-dwelling bees to nest.
A Bee-Friendly Garden for All Seasons
Creating a garden that attracts and supports bees is about more than just choosing the right plants—it is about thoughtful garden design, providing water, avoiding harmful chemicals, and supporting the bees’ nesting needs. By planting a wide variety of flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall and following bee-friendly gardening practices, you’ll create a thriving habitat that ensures your garden is a buzzing success year after year.
So, get planting, add some water features, be mindful of your bees’ nesting needs, and watch as your garden overflows with the joyful hum of bees!
