Bee Friendly Gardens

In the South Burnett we’re really lucky to have a diverse range of native flora and that many people enjoy gardening, growing their produce and planting a variety of flowers.Within our gardens, Bees are busily searching for nectar and pollen. Nectar providing them with energy through natural sugars, while the pollen is packed with protein and nutrients. This pollen is especially important for the development of young bees in the hive and ensuring a healthy population.

Plants that produce plenty of both and make flowers easy to access, are definitely on their list of favourites. We find Buddleia ( the Butterfly Bush ) bountiful in both. Bees are particularly drawn to the blue, purple, white and yellow coloured flowers and often bee line to single, open shaped flowers like daisies and zinnias.
I grow strongly scented flowers like Rosemary ( pictured ) and French Lavender in my garden. These fragrances are a real signal to bees, letting them know that food is nearby.

Since bees need a steady food source all year round, the most bee friendly gardens are those that include a mix of plants that flower across all seasons. Yes, it’s a fact that the most challenging season to ensure this steady supply is the winter season. A reason why viburnum tinus and photinia red robin are such great performers to have in the garden.

There are plenty of plants that are perfect for attracting both native and honey bees. Native plants are especially valuable, as they support both honey bee species. Throughout the winter Wattle of course are a great source of nectar and pollen. Grevillea are an incredibly popular plant at Ramesa Nursery, with bold, spider like flowers that bloom for much of the year and full of nectar. Bottlebrush (Callistemon), are another favourite, offering vibrant red, pink or purple blossoms that are irresistible to pollinators.
Tea trees (Leptospermum) are beautiful in bloom and also a source of nectar for medicinal honey. Coastal Native rosemary, (Westringia) is a tough and dry tolerant plant flowering regularly while flowering gums provide abundant nectar supporting entire bee colonies. I love walking past the gums here and hearing the buzzing sounds of bees.

In addition to native species, there are several well known exotic plants that bees love and that perform well in our gardens. Lavender as mentioned is a wonderful choice, with its strong scent, drought tolerance and long flowering season. Borage too, with its bright blue star shaped flowers, is often called a “bee magnet” producing nectar that replenishes quickly. In my last garden I planted masses of borage around my strawberry plants to bring in the bees.Sunflowers are another great option, offering both pollen and nectar, while adding a burst of colour to the garden. With summer fast approaching you’ll see plenty of Sunflowers as a drift planted in the Picnic Gardens.

Culinary herbs like basil, thyme, oregano and mint become popular with bees when flowering and growing red or white clover provides a great food source while improving soil health.
As we know, Bees are so important .. with approximately one third of the food we eat relying on pollinators including bees. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee and many other food bearing trees all depend on bees for pollination. Gosh I certainly wouldn’t want to go without my morning coffee.

I can’t imagine life without bees .. yields would fall, food would become more expensive and our diets would definitely be less diverse. Let’s plant as many bee attracting plants as possible.
Creating a Bee friendly garden is something everyone can do, no matter the size of our space. Planting a variety of nectar and pollen rich flowers including native species, is one of the most effective ways to support local bee populations.

Avoiding harmful pesticides is crucial, as these chemicals can kill bees or disrupt their ability to navigate and find their way home. Letting some herbs go to flower, providing a shallow dish of water with pebbles for bees to drink from and leaving some untidy corners of the garden for native bees to nest in are all simple but powerful actions we can take.

We’re pretty chuffed at the nursery we have a hive of native bees in the trees just near the car park garden.
Although small the contribution of all bees are enormous. With the right conditions will continue to do what they do best: keep the world blooming while we continue gardening.