Gardening for Bumblebees

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~ just had this booklet in the post and some of the advice I hadn’t thought of~
like roses which have too tight petals which means the bees can’t get in to get the pollen~
I hope everyone fiinds it useful!

Wiildflowers have become scarce in the countryside because we’ve lost many traditional habitats like hedgerows, hay meadows and chalk grassland (learn more). The extensive use of pesticides in farmland has also drastically reduced wildflower numbers. As a result, many bumblebees species have declined dramatically, with two species already nationally extinct and several others giving us serious cause for concern. Wildlife gardens have become a stronghold for some bumblebee species. Wherever you live in the UK you should be able to attract at least 6 bumblebee species to your garden, and perhaps as many at 10.

Bumblebees need flowers throughout the Spring and Summer (March-Sept), and these need to be the right kinds of flowers. Exotic or highly cultivated garden flowers are largely unsuitable, as they either produce little pollen and nectar, or keep it hidden away from the bees. In particular, most annual bedding plants (e.g. Pelargonium, Begonia, Busy Lizzies) have little nectar to offer bees or other wildlife. Instead, why not try growing traditional cottage garden flowers and native wildflowers. Many of these thrive and look superb in the garden. They are also easy to grow, generally being hardy and much more resistant to slugs and disease. Bumblebee species differ in the length of their tongues, and as a result prefer different flowers, so it’s important to grow a range of different things.

Viper’s bugloss is perhaps the very best plant to attract bumblebees to your garden. Much loved by almost all species, and it looks great too. It flowers from June-August.

Below you’ll find a selection of both garden and wild flowers that will bloom throughout the year. They are all types that bumblebees love, and will cater for both long and short-tongued species. If you have room for even one or two of these they will attract many bees. Most of these plants will also attract a range of other interesting insects to the garden, including butterflies and honeybees.

Why not download a simple factsheet to print out and pass on to family and friends?
Flowers for bumblebees
March – April
Apple
Bluebell
Broom
Bugle
Cherry

Erica carnea (heather)
Flowering Currant
Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
Pear
Plum

Pussy Willow
Red dead-nettle
Rosemary
White dead-nettle
May – June
Alliums
Aquilegia
Birds-foot trefoil
Bugle
Bush vetch
Campanula
Ceanothus
Chives
Comfrey
Cotoneaster
Escallonia

Everlasting Pea
Everlasting wallflower
Foxglove
Geranium
Honeysuckle
Kidney Vetch
Laburnum
Lupin
Monkshood
Poppies
Raspberries

Red Campion
Roses (singles)
Sage
Salvia
Thyme
Tufted vetch
Meadow Cranesbill
White Clover
Wisteria
Woundwort
July – September
Black horehound
Borage
Bramble
Buddleia
Cardoon
Catmint
Cornflower
Delphinium
Heathers
Hollyhock
Hyssop

Knapweed
Lavender
Lesser burdock
Marjoram
Mellilot
Mint
Penstemon
Phacelia
Polemonium
Purple loosestrife
Red bartsia

Red clover
Rock-rose
Sainfoin
Scabious
Sea Holly
Snapdragons
St. Johns Wort
Sunflower
Teasel
Thistles
Viper’s bugloss

Want to know more?

Gardening for bumblebees book~Why not order a copy of the BBCT book ‘Gardening for Bumblebees’? Packed with all of the information you need to turn your garden into a haven for bumblebees. Yours for a suggested donation of £2.50 plus 50 pence for postage and packing.

Written by BBCT Trustee and bumblebee expert Prof. Dave Goulson, this little book is guaranteed to get your garden buzzing! If you’d like a copy of this book but don’t want to join BBCT then click the link below.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk

One of the simplest things you can do to help your bumblebees is to leave an area of your lawn uncut during the summer. If you don’t mow between late-June and early-August, your lawn will burst into flower with clovers and birds-foot trefoil. This needn’t look untidy – make it an interesting shape, and border it with a mown path so that you can enjoy watching your bumblebees foraging away.

When you do finally cut, in August, remove all of the clippings and put them on the compost heap. Over time, this will allow the soil fertility to drop naturally, which will encourage the wildflowers to flourish – they actually prefer nutrient poor soil. Click for more information

Many wildflowers have become scarce in farmland. If you make space for them in your garden the you’ll be helping conserve both the flowers themselves and the creatures they support. Many of these native wildflowers are extraordinarily beautiful – it’s not all about nettles and brambles! We often forget that many conventional garden flowers such as foxgloves are native wildflowers.

Seeds of some wildflowers like foxgloves and cowslips can be bought in most garden centers, but the range is usually limited. A far greater selection are available by mail order from specialist companies. However, there is a lot to be said for collecting the seeds yourself from the wild. Most plants produce thousands of seeds, but there is nowhere near enough room for them all to germinate and grow. Collecting a few seeds will have no impact on the plant population in most cases. There is a very strong conservation argument for using local seed as you are helping to propagate and conserve the local race of the plant species, so if possible gather your wildflower seed from close to home.

Before going out collecting, remember that collecting from private land or nature reserves is illegal. However, this is generally not a problem because many wildflowers can be found along road verges or riverbanks. Secondly, do not collect seed from rare plants or from places where there are only a handful of parent plants.

Specialist wildflower seed suppliers:

Herbiseed, Naturescape,
Emorsgate, Scotia Seeds,
Really Wild Flowers,
Scotts Wild Flowers,
Wild About Wildflowers,

Collecting your own seed requires patience, as it is necessary to wait for the right time of year. Try to spot the location of flowers and then return when the flowers have set seed. Most wildflower seed is very easy to collect. For larger seeds simply pick them up with your fingers; for example tufts of knapweed or thistle seeds are readily plucked from mature seed heads. For others, the best approach is to place a bag over the flower head and shake. Once collected, keep the seeds dry and cool until you can sow them. Generally it is best to sow the seeds immediately, since this is the time at which they would naturally be scattered. Place in seed trays outside since some seeds will not germinate without passing through a cold winter (or a simulated cold period).

Why not make space in a corner of your garden for a beautiful wildflower meadow?

• 3 Feb, 2010
• 16 likes

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