Listen to the Bees
After several days of digging and hauling dirt we are getting closer to being able to landscape the flowerbed along the house. Most of the rock wall has been completed, a few pieces remain and will be placed today. We'll need a big load of dirt to fill in the space before planting begins. This darling woman offered some, possibly all, of her day lilies which just makes me giddy. That will certainly help fill in the void of space with large sun loving flowers. Other portions of the yard have been mostly finished and will be filled in throughout the summer.
As I began to search for plants to place in the garden I have discovered this wonderful organization that is giving away seeds for your garden. The Great Sunflower Project is recruiting people to help track bees that visit your garden. By signing up you'll be sent a welcome pack with seeds and instructions on what to do for the bee count. This is an ideal way to improve your garden, even small gardens because sunflowers are excellent space saving plants. They grow vertically and are generally compact and pull the bees in by droves. Once the seed head matures then it becomes a banquet for the birds. How's that for a double benefit plant?
Bee gardening tips:
Choose nectar and pollen producing flowers such as: sunflowers, daisies, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, asters, marigolds, hyacinths, hollyhocks, crocuses, foxglove, lavender and geraniums.
Plant your garden to produce flowers which will successfully bloom over the growing season to help provide food from Spring through Fall. (Black eyed Susan, lavender and Cone flower are constant bloomers and are excellent choices)
Bees are attracted to blue, purple, orange and yellow flowers. Choose these colors in you favorite bee friendly flower species.
Plant patches of like flowers in close proximity to each other. That way the bees will find the others and report back their find to the hive.
Don't use pesticides, but you knew that didn't you.
As I began to search for plants to place in the garden I have discovered this wonderful organization that is giving away seeds for your garden. The Great Sunflower Project is recruiting people to help track bees that visit your garden. By signing up you'll be sent a welcome pack with seeds and instructions on what to do for the bee count. This is an ideal way to improve your garden, even small gardens because sunflowers are excellent space saving plants. They grow vertically and are generally compact and pull the bees in by droves. Once the seed head matures then it becomes a banquet for the birds. How's that for a double benefit plant?
Bee gardening tips:
Choose nectar and pollen producing flowers such as: sunflowers, daisies, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, asters, marigolds, hyacinths, hollyhocks, crocuses, foxglove, lavender and geraniums.
Plant your garden to produce flowers which will successfully bloom over the growing season to help provide food from Spring through Fall. (Black eyed Susan, lavender and Cone flower are constant bloomers and are excellent choices)
Bees are attracted to blue, purple, orange and yellow flowers. Choose these colors in you favorite bee friendly flower species.
Plant patches of like flowers in close proximity to each other. That way the bees will find the others and report back their find to the hive.
Don't use pesticides, but you knew that didn't you.
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