With spring in full swing and summer approaching, it’s important to get outside in nature to appreciate the changing seasons but it's also an opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment and ecosystem.
Planting a garden not only benefits you and your family but ultimately benefit the bees. Because bee populations have dramatically decreased worldwide, it’s up to us to help! Luckily, there are certain herbs and flowers known to attract bees that we can easily find and plant!
We will start with herbs! These are some of the most common herbs that are known to provide bees with valuable nectar and pollen throughout the year. Not to mention some great herbs to utilize in cooking!
-Fennel
-Sage
-Borage
-Lavender
-Cilantro
-Mint
-Rosemary
There are two types of flowers, Perennials, and Annuals. “Perennial flowers are those that continue to grow year after year after remaining dormant throughout the winter. Annuals typically are planted in the spring and summer months, bloom for the season, and then die. Gardeners often supplant Perennial gardens with lively, colorful Annuals.”
Because Perennials come back every year, they only need to be planted once!
These Perennials are most likely to attract bees and supply a constant source of food.
-Crocus
-Hyacinth
-Black Eyed Susan
-Bee Balm
-Hosta
-Aster
-Geranium
Annual flowers are fun, colorful, and need to be planted every year. Therefore, a great opportunity to switch things up in your garden and attract different types of bees and other pollinators!
-Calendula
-Sunflower
-Zinnia
-Petunias
-Cleome
-Annual Daisies
-Cosmos
Planting a garden provides you with useful herbs, beautiful aromas, eye-catching colors, overall happiness, and positive benefits to our ecosystem.
It’s a win-win! Just be(e) mindful of how you plant and care for your garden. Make sure to avoid harmful herbicides and pesticides. Not only can they be toxic to bees, but to us as well. Your garden doesn’t have to be anything big, it can be small, like a window box, just as long as it’s an inviting little oasis for the bees, size doesn’t matter! Lastly, a fun fact I learned recently was, “bees need a place to get fresh, clean water. Fill a shallow container of water with pebbles or twigs for the bees to land on while drinking. Make sure to maintain the container full of fresh water to ensure that they know they can return to the same spot every day in your bee garden.”
Spread the word and help save the bees! Happy planting!
Much love & light,
Sarah Del Rey