How to Plant Herbs for Bees

There is perhaps nothing more rewarding to a gardener than to see his garden benefit the natural ecosystem. When a bee lands on a flower in your garden, you know your flowers are being pollinated, but also the bees are receiving the nectar they need to survive. If you enjoy the sight of happy bees buzzing around your garden, you can create a bee garden with herbs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Plan a dedicated spot for the bee garden. Because you may not want bees all over your yard, it might be best to plant all the bee-attracting herbs in once place. In addition, having all of the plants in one area makes the herbs even more attractive to the local bee population.

2. Look for a spot with some shade. Most herbs can grow in partial shade, and you will want a cool place to sit and observe them. Find a comfortable garden bench or stool and place it under a tree. Consider creating a pathway of stones to the bench and around the bee garden.

3. Plant some perennial herbs bees like. The perennial herbs provide a stable presence in your bee garden. Include herbs like bee balm, cat nip, mint, sage and thyme. Lavender attracts bees and is usually perennial but there are some annual varieties too.

4. Add some annual herbs every year. Supplement your existing perennial herbs with new annuals bees like in the spring. Annual herbs that attract bees include borage, cilantro, fennel and rosemary.

5. Use as many different varieties of herbs as possible. This ensures you have something in bloom in the garden for the bees all season long. And, as there are many different species of bees, some may be more attracted to one type of herb than another.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid using pesticides in your bee herb garden. The pesticides may harm the bees.

[NoeticNotes]

on 12/31/2008 Nice tips, thanks