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Need Bees This Year!

I've failed to attract bees to my garden for as long as I can remember, but this year I haven't given myself a budget, so am looking for any perennials that attract wildlife, preferably clump forming or ones that seed themself, so I'm able to make even more for free in the long run (like Monty does)...

Anyone got any suggestions?

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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Lupins, delphiniums, foxgloves, rudbekia, lots of perennials will attract bees and propagate well.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Ryan LloydRyan Lloyd Posts: 395
    Thankyou Lyon, do you know of any clump forming perennials off hand too? Thanks image
  • Ryan LloydRyan Lloyd Posts: 395
    Sorry was meant to say lyn, stupid autocorrect!
  • discodavediscodave Posts: 510

    I know its not clump forming, but Buddleja is always a winner

  • Jean GenieJean Genie Posts: 1,724

    Ryan, hardy geranium is always a winner with bees. image Once you have it you can split it to make more. 

    I'm making a new border this year specifically for the bees. I already have johnson's blue and have got some pink ones to go in as well. I've also sown a variety of single flowering annuals that the bees prefer. Cosmos, Rudbeckia, Sweet sultan, and some other varieties .

    If you have a local poundland shop , they sometimes have bare rooted hardy geraniums . That's where I got my pink ones from.image

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,068

    I have seen 4 species of bee on one head of sedum spectabile.  They also like achilleas, echinops, aconitum, foxgloves and early flowers are needed too so snowdrops, crocuses and so on.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    pulmonaria are very good for the early bees



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    I have loads of this, maybe someone would like a root? maybe a post for the seed swap thread?

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    If you want to attract bees -get some lavenderimage

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