Gorgeous, healthy gardens rely on busy bees. Think of yourself as the ultimate matchmaker: choosing a variety of flowers and herbs that bloom from early spring through late autumn will provide nutrients for a bee’s entire life-cycle. You will be richly rewarded for your thoughtfulness with thriving beds and borders.

Planting flowers with easy access to pollen and nectar will also encourage bees to linger in your garden. Here you will find a list of blooms that entice throughout the seasons:

SPRING

Snowdrop, crocus, grape hyacinth, pansy, fritillaria, hellebore, phlox, peony, chive, mint

SUMMER

Poppy, milkweed, snapdragon, daisy, bee balm, cosmos, foxglove, marigold, nasturtium, single and semi-double rose varieties, lavender, catmint, delphinium

AUTUMN

Aster, zinnia, sedum, borage (starflower), anise hyssop, black-eyed Susan, oregano, thyme

Three additional factors in creating a garden filled with buzzing pollinators:

1) Keep your garden chemical-free. Pesticides and herbicides are toxic to bees. If you need willing assistants to keep detrimental insects at bay, beneficial ladybugs are readily available online.

2) Offer your garden guests a fresh drink of water, served in a shallow vessel. Bees need water for cooling, digestion, and humidity control in the hive.

3) Choose non-hybridized plant specimens. Hybridized plants produce little nectar or pollen and therefore have much less to offer.