Bee Friendly

A random bunch of 5

As the winter approaches the urge to hibernate begins to grow. I can feel myself turning inwards. I head to bed early with a book, snuggling in to a world of words, enjoying the warmth of extra blankets. I also find autumn is a time of reflection and I’ve found myself looking at photos from a year ago. These photos tell a story of a different garden, one that was still flowering with cosmos and dahlias, flowers that this year seem to be fading earlier than they did last year. It feels cold all of sudden. When I look at photos of gardens, either my own or others, I day dream about future garden plans. Knowing is sharing so here is a random collection of bee friendly plants as you too maybe thinking of future garden plans in this season of reflection and retreat.

There is just something immensely joyful and happy about an echinops. They are a little spiky haired mop top of flower that comes in a special blue that can feel soft then metallic in changing light. I never tire of seeing them in the garden. I love how established plants form a mirage of flower heads and then as the season turns they evolve into spiky seed heads before becoming a Piet Oudolf approved decaying stalk, returning in the next spring with more abundant growth. I have recently discovered a white version called snow  which is a welcome addition to the traditional blue. Both have a whispering glow around them that seems to be part hue, part shape.

Bees enjoy them no end. The echinops flower head is made up of many smaller flower heads known as inflorescence.  These multi flower heads produce more nectar.  Bees are creatures of efficiency, so stopping at one echinops inflorescence flower head is always more profitable rather then visiting many single blooms. Echinops do like to flower is a dry space and will tend to be on show towards the end of summer. Their foliage an attractive soft silver grey looks marvelous alongside my silver green sages.

We all love dahlias. The collective colours, shades and petal shape always draws ones breath as we bask in the beauty of these flowers. Most people are drawn to the pom pom, the mop tops, the pretty but for me my heart always belongs to the underdog of the dahlia family, the single bloom. Single blooms are often shades that are more orange, red and yellow.  I do love how an established plant can offers many flowers.  For me it is a very hard working plant. Single blooms often come in a various colours of foliage.  In one corner of my garden one I see a soft pale pink flower head with a bronze leave nestled nicely against the purple sage in while across the lawn a soft white dahlia flowers with green foliage makes friends alongside some hellebores.  Their fresh green leaves are a perfect match for each other. Bees love their easy to access open pollen centre. When I purchase plants and I am reviewing their bee friendly qualities I work on the theory that if I can see the pollen then the bees can as well. Dahlias like the echniops are late summer early autumn flowering.  Frequent deadheading will ensure that they have a long flowering season. I gave my dahlias a bit more love this year with more frequent feeds and watering than I did last and they have been stunning. Last year they suffered from the dry summer so it was a good lesson in adaptive gardening based on the season.

Scabiosa or pin cushion, are always present in my garden. Each season I seem to fall in love with a  different variety. This year it was Fata Morgana, a delicate soft peach cream version.  My attempts to grow from seed were largely unsuccessful.  I had many lovely seedlings but a late frost put an end to that. Don’t let that put you off growing from seed they are a good one to start in late spring for flowers in the summer.  In the absence of Fata Morgana I become attached to a Salmon version.  I love the gorgeous ball shape seed heads that form that come starball and of course enjoy the snow maiden variety as well.  The bees are very fond of Cephalaria Gigante which falls into the pincushion family.  Nothing looks sweeter than a bumble perched on a flower head bobbing in the evening light.  It is my favourite silhouette.  Scabiosa work great as a gap filler if you need it and are a favourite that I like to grow on mass. Another one that benefits from dead heading to keep the flower season going for longer. It can stretch from summer into Autumn.

Each year I try and create a cosmos forest. I love seeing in the autumn light on a day when there is a gentle breeze cosmos gently swaying. I’ve always been a fan of the white versions but this year I had a ruffled pink and white version (it might actually have been a couple of varieties planted close together) that became one of my favourite things  to have in the garden. I do plant a lot of these and I have come to the conclusion that the 20/80 rule applies - 20% of your plant provides 80% of your flowers. Easy to grow each year from seed and a great gap filler. Again another one which can have a longer flowering season if you dead head.

I keep forgetting about asters until this time of year when flowers are starting to disappear from the garden and these guys just start up. They are much loved by bees and have many flower heads on a single stem. Colours range for blues, purples pinks and whites and I have made a note to myself to collect a few more varieties as they do feel like they are an easy to grow addition to the garden. I tend to buy mine as a plant but might if I have the time exploring taking cuttings to expand on what I have already got. 

Hopefully these inspire some new additions to your garden in the coming season. I will send out a few more suggestions over the remaining winter month to help with planning your new season garden.