To encourage Bee's into your gardens, there are many great plants and flowers which you can add to your garden which bee's love. This particular website promotes meadows, heathers and wild flowers.
Bee's love the more controversial flowers such as dandelions and yellow rattle.
There is so much more to consider than I originally thought, I have been finding out so much new information and obviously my knowledge about gardening is poorer than I had originally thought. I will keep a record of information to refer to here on my blog because it is all important information which I need to know in order to be correct in my knowledge and the knowledge which I intend to pass on to others.
This website is a great hand in helping me understand what to plant in your garden: http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/lawns.html
Lawns for Bee's
Lawns can provide excellent opportunities for bees. Depending on your circumstances, this could range from allowing a few wildflowers to thrive in a small patch, or converting a large grassed area to meadow.
On the other hand, maybe the idea of long grasses or tall flowers is not appealing.
Perhaps you'd like to select a few low-growing specimens to help the bees, or maybe you'd rather not include wildflowers in your lawn at all.
Here are a few ideas to set you on your way in creating a patch that is great for bees and other wildlife:
Include Bulbs
Many flower bulbs provide excellent nectar and pollen sources for bees, including during winter and spring. Why not include crocuses in your lawn? For a natural effect, simply scatter them onto the ground and plant them where they fall. Alternatively, do the same with daffodils and bluebells beneath a tree. Remember to choose traditional rather than double-petalled varieties. Snake's head fritillary can also look very pretty, whilst snowdrops are always a favourite.
I recommend you buy bulbs from an organic supplier. Personally, I have become increasingly concerned about the amount of neonicotinoid pesticides used in flower bulb cultivation - and indeed, in horticulture generally. Personally, I prefer to buy organic, or take cuttings from sources I trust.
Alternatively, you could develop a relationship with a nursery near you, and ask them from where they source their plants, bulbs and seeds.
Read more about flower bulbs for bees, and get further information about bulbs suitable for lawns and shade.
Wildflower Meadow
Even small spaces can accommodate many wildflowers , and this could attract different types of bees and butterflies, by providing much needed pollen and nectar.
So how can it be achieved? There are several methods:
The ‘Leave it and See’ Approach
My husband and I tried this last year, and it worked a treat. We learned that our house had been built on a wildflower meadow about 16 years ago, and I had already noticed a few different wildflowers had popped up from the lawn. These were probably dormant seeds from years gone by. To achieve this approach is simple:
- Do not use any fertilizers or treatments on your lawn. Do not add anything that could increase the nutrient value of the soil. Most wildflowers thrive better in nutrient rich soil. Also, do not use any pesticides / insecticides.
- Mow only twice in the year – we mowed early in the spring, then again late autumn. If you wish you can always mow a ‘path’ through the lawn. Mown paths can look quite attractive.
Depending on your lawn, getting a good variety of wildflowers may take time. However, do not be disappointed if you see lots of clover. Clover is one of the best plants for bees, and has the added advantage of keeping your lawn looking green even during dry spells. Other wonderful plants to see peeping through your lawn include self heal, bird’s foot trefoil, cowslips and vetches. Dandelions are controversial, but bees and other pollinators love them. You can always remove the heads before seeds disperse.
Planting Approach
You could also purchase a few wildflowers as plants, and add them at various places to your lawn. Even better, sow seeds yourself in pots, and ensure you use no chemicals.
This approach will be helpful :
- for plants that may otherwise be difficult to establish,
- to simply reduce the waiting time for your wildflowers to become established,
- to have more control over the wildflowers appearing in your lawn. Perhaps you’d prefer to see a few low-growing plants, as mentioned above.
Create a Wildflower Meadow from Scratch
For this approach, remove the top layer of turf. Sow a wildflower seed mix in Spring or Autumn, and cover with a fine tilth. Hopefully, your seed mix will contain annuals that will soon give you glorious colour. In a year or two, the perennial flowers should show up.
If you have high nutrient soil, you may struggle to establish your wildflowers. One approach to solving this issue is to use herbicides (weedkillers), however I do NOT recommend this.
Why?
There is great debate and controversy around the impact of herbicides on wildlife, with the agrochems industry defending their position (as with neonicotinoid pesticides), and government institutions doing little about it – and certainly not demanding independent evidence prior to marketing authorization has been granted. But at the very least, remember wildflowers are ‘weeds’ in the eyes of the agrochemical industry.
Instead, sow Yellow Rattle with your wildflower seeds – or sow it first. This will parasitize the grasses that would otherwise take over your wildflowers, and bees and other insects love this wildflower. Yellow Rattle is excellent for helping to create more suitable growing conditions for wildflowers preferring nutrient-poor soils.
Along with the Yellow Rattle, you could try these wildflowers (they will benefit not only bees, but also other pollinating insects), as they are better able to compete with rough grass:
Field Scabious
Teasel
Meadow Cranesbill
Cowslip
Selfheal
Greater & Lesser Knapweed
Red Campion
Betony
Meadow Buttercup
Ox Eye Daisy
Musk Mallow
Which Other Wildflowers Could You Include?
Depending on your conditions, consider these species:
Dappled Shade:
Primrose
Greater Stitchwort
Ground Ivy
Bugle
Lesser Celandine
Red Campion
Foxglove
Blue bells
Wood Anemone
Damp Soils
Devil’s Bit Scabious
Ragged Robin
Marsh Woundwort
Water Mint
Water Avens
King Cups
Purple Loosestrife
Meadowsweet
Chalk Soil
Cowslip
Yellow Rattle
Small Scabious
Cornflower
Teasel
Knapweeds
Field Scabious
Self heal
Kidney Vetch
Ox Eye Daisy
Poppy
Rich Soil
If you do have rich soil, try these – they are annuals, but should self seed each year, or collect them yourself and re-sow:
Corn Poppy
Corncockle
Cornflower
Corn Marigold
Corn Chamomile
Don’t Want Wildflowers or Are You in a Drought Area?
If you have very dry soil or if you would prefer a more cultivated look – or even something a little unusual, then why not consider fragrant Thyme? Thyme is an excellent herb for bees, and low growing varieties can be used. Check out this link about growing a thyme lawn.
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