Bee attracting plants
It's good to have bees in the garden from two perspectives, yours and theirs. They pollinate many of the vegetables and fruits that we grow at home and if there is an abundance of bees then you will notice that productivity increases rapidly.
Bees are under survival pressure from pesticides and habitat destruction together with declining biodiversity. Home gardens can really make a solid contribution to bee health and survival.
You don't need a hive in your garden to play a part in bee survival as these tireless creatures can travel up to 5 kilometres to source suitable food. Home gardens have a very diverse range of plants and this is reflected in the flavour of the honey. A local Perth based business is seeking to bring out these nuances by harvesting and selling Postcode Honey, literally honey sourced from individual postcode suburbs, what a great idea.
There is a large number of plants that attract bees, meaning that you can with careful planning, provide nectar sources across the calendar. Here are a few to get you started.
Herbs: Basil, borage, catmint, chives, comfrey, coriander, fennel, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rocket, rosemary, sage, savoury and thyme.
Fruit: Apple, apricot, avocado, blackberry, black and red currants, blueberry, lemons, lime, mandarin, mango, passionfruit, persimmon, plum and strawberries
Vegies: Artichoke, capsicum, chilli, cucumbers, leeks and onions (if left to go to flower), pumpkins and squash.
Flowers: Alyssum, cornflower, cosmos, echinacea, echium, forget-me-not, foxglove, geranium, marigold, phacelia, portulaca, nasturtium, roses, sunflowers and zinnia.
Australian natives:Acacia, banksia, bracteantha, callistemon, dianella, eremophila, eucalypts, grevilleas, hakea, hardenbergia, hibbertia, leptospermum, melaleuca and xanthorrhoea (grass tree).
Others: Dahlia, dombeya (Natal wedding bush), gazania and phyla (lippia)
