Grow them for the bees

Plants for both bumble and honey bees need to have fragrance and bright colors. The nectar also is what they want to feed on as adults. The pollen is a protein that they gather to feed their young larvae in the nest. While collecting the pollen, they transfer it around your garden to help pollinate as they go from plant to plant. This produces fruits and vegetables as well as seed production. Without the bees we would have no apples, pears, blueberry, strawberry, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers and many other important crops. Farmers raise bees or move colonies into orchards when the trees are blooming to ensure that they have a successful crop. All types of bees are an asset to any garden by cutting back on destructive predators and pollination to produce fruit and seeds. You the gardener can plant many of the flowering plants that bees love. Make sure to never use pesticides that will harm the bees. Many native plants like clovers, mints and catnip, sedum and alliums will bring the bees to your yard. Borage, Basil, Bee balm, Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary and Chamomile are herbs they love. Flowering shrubs like mock orange, and honeysuckle will provide nectar. Some of the other plants you can use to bring the bees are Bellflower, heather, lavender, speedwell, Baptisia, lungwort and coreopsis daisy.The long lasting blooms on Lambs ears will attract many types of bees and beneficial insects to your garden.