Overhaul of new garden - bees please !

[greengumbo]

Moved into a new place in March where the garden has been neglected for about 15 years except for a being cut back just before we moved in.

So as the summer is coming to an end we are going to completely overhaul the garden. I realise that planting for bees will not make much of a difference to the hives forage but I would love to see them about the garden and maybe give them a small helping hand at the same time.

We live up in Aberdeenshire and the soil is slightly acidic.

There is lots of forage about over early summer -> early autumn so it would be great to get species that are good for bees in early spring and late autumn as well as a few bushes for summer and spring so I can see them about.

Bulbs, bushes, fruits, perennials, climbers - I can cram them all in somewhere ! Also have a wee boggy bit so any wetland species should also do well.

I have a wishlist at the moment but would be good to hear your suggestions

 

[Luminos]

Blueberry bushes like acid soil and the bees love the flowers. The autumn foliage is fiery red, very attractive. And of course there's the berries...

 

[greengumbo]

Nice suggestion !

Golden rods and Budlea are on the list too. Someone said Lady phacelai and borage are great too ? Already have a Hebe that they were on in early July.

Any suggestions on early crocus or snowdrop species. Or other early bulbs ?

 

[HelenHP16]

and for either end of the season

you could think about Mahonia, Hellibor Niger and Sedum to provide forage at either end of the season and into winter.

I have all sorts of bee friendly plants - the bumbles love them but my girls are up and over the wall into the fields beyond

 

[Luminos]

Winter-flowering honeysuckle is a long-flowering shrub with a knockout scent, although it grows into a hefty beast

 

[theboynelson]

If you have a boggy bit, as well as blueberries, you could go for cranberries, and seeing as it is all the rage at the moment, a little bit of prairie planting, Echinacea, Heleniums, rudbeckias. They last quite long are stunning to look at and the bees doo get some goodness out of them.

Always disliked having Mahonia in a garden, I've been scratched too many times by them, they need to be kenpt in a Supermarket Carpark.

 

[MartinL]

Bare-root hedging will soon be available, Blackthorn flowers early, rugosa roses would help protect nesting birds from little domesticated predators and both will come in at around £1-1.50 each mail order.
Primroses and pansies (early flowering) also available cheaply as plugs now.

 

[SixFooter]

Late season, but heathers. Most like acidic soil. The others dont care.

Bees seem to love borage and alliums

 

[HelenHP16]

add to that marjoram. Just been for my lunch time stroll round the garden and that's where they all are

 

[garlicpickle]

At the moment the local bees are enjoying my lavender and oregano. They also enjoyed my next door neighbour's bottle brush although it's just finished now.

 

[itma]

Phacelia is a good green manure (no bad thing for a neglected plot). And if you let it flower, the bees love it. Same goes for red clover.
Fuchsia, lavender, geraniums ...

 

[SixFooter]

When I was planting up my garden a few years ago, I made regular trips to the garden centre throughout the year, so I could see what was in flower when and what the flowers looked like. Now when I go to the garden centre, I look for honey bees on the flowers as well. There must be a beekeeper close to my local B & Q for example as there are loads of honey bees.

 

[greengumbo]

When I was planting up my garden a few years ago, I made regular trips to the garden centre throughout the year, so I could see what was in flower when and what the flowers looked like. Now when I go to the garden centre, I look for honey bees on the flowers as well. There must be a beekeeper close to my local B & Q for example as there are loads of honey bees.

I'm quite lucky there is a cracking botanic garden with bees next to work so have been noting down what they are on this summer. In late autumn / early spring ill be out again taking notes

 

[Poly Hive]

Thinking here.... Macaually Insitiute per chance? I see I aout of date here, it's changed to: James Hutton Institute

PH

 

[theeggman]

Winter Savory.
We have a plant approx. 6ft. from the back door and it seems to be always covered in every sort of bee and hoverfly.
It flowers for a long time AND can be used in cooking.

 

[RoofTops]

Autum fruiting raspberries - later flowering and much easier to look after than normal rasps - you just cut them off at the ankles. No need to leave in canes for the following year as they fruit on the current season's wood.

 

[madasafish]

Crocus and bee tree.

 

[greengumbo]

Hi everyone,

Just finished putting the last of the plants in for this year (other than the bareroot hedging which comes next week!) so thought I would ressurect this thread for interest. Did a lot of reading up about bees and insect friendly plants and so have planted the following:

Loads of bulbs (about 600 in total!):
crocus
Snowdrop
Snakehead fritillary
grape hyacinth
Ligularia sp
Eremurus sp
Aliums

then:
Blueberry
Budleja
Wood anenome
Japanese anenome
Pulmonaria
Mint, marjorum, oregano
winter and summer heathers
Virbinum
Sedum
Hebe (winter / summer)
Winter and normal honeysuckle
Jasmine nudiflorum
Climbing clematis
thyme
mahonia
Helliborus niger
Jacobs ladder
Common primrose
trumpet primrose

Now looking forward to spring and next years flowering - thanks for all the suggestions ! Will be planting phacelia and borage seeds underneath all the fruit trees.

Cheers for the help - will post photos next year

 

[ratcatcher]

we really need before and after pictures

 

[hedgehog66]

I'm going to be planting loads of pots of mint close to hives.
They are really easy to take cuttings and increase number of plants
Also read today there could potentially be a chance of mint helping reduce verroa - a long shot but very pretty flowers.
If planting mint, remember to keep it in pots or it will take over