Van Dyke Gardens: Bee-Friendly

What to Plant for a Bee-Friendly Garden

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It shouldn’t be a surprise that the bee population is rapidly declining. Most people dislike bees, they are scared of them and think they sting; when in reality they are super-friendly little guys who like the fly around from flower to flower  to pollinate! While it is true that bees can sting a human, they only do it when there is a justifiable cause (e.g. protecting their hive, swatting them away.) Unlike wasps who sting for the fun of it. Gardeners are a bees best friend, and here are some flowers that you can plant in your garden to give them a home and be safe. 

Thank you to Jessica Damiano for the original information, you can read more here.

 

How to Make A Bee-Friendly Garden

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Without bees, everything we know would cease to exist. Bees are the reason why we have vegetables, flowers, and many plants. They travel from plant to plant, cross pollinating and making new life grow. Many people have misconceptions about bees, they are not out to harm. Bees are not aggressive, unless threatened or being attacked. Unlike wasps, bees cannot retract their stingers, so once they use it- they die. Which makes sense, since they don’t go out of their way to sting people. Recently, bees have been on the decline- which isn’t good (for anyone.) So here is a list of plants that you can put into your garden to attract bees, and keep them safe.

  • Bee Balm
  • Borage
  • Cosmos
  • Dill
  • Milkweed
  • Nasturtium
  • Orlaya
  • Penstemon
  • Zinnia

Thank you to Jessica Damiano for the original information. For more information, and how to plant and take care of the plants listed above, click here.