Ivydene Gardens Bee-Pollinated Bloom Plant Index Gallery:
Bee Pollinated Plants for Hay Fever Sufferers List with
Flowers in the Spring between
March-May

See Wildflower Garden Use Page for other bee-pollinated or insect-pollinated list of plants.

See Bee instead of wind pollinated plants for hay-fever sufferers
All Bee-Pollinated Flowers per Month 12
...Index pages

If a plant is polinated by a bee, then it is not wind-pollinated. This means that the plants mentioned on this page and in the book "Garden Plants Valuable to Bees" (written by the International Bee Research Association) will be suitable for people who suffer from hay fever.

You can compare the flower colour of the bee-pollinated plants with all the other bee-pollinated plants (who have Plant Description Pages in this website) using the Bee-pollinated 12 colours of Bloom in each Month Gallery. There are also 218 additional bee-pollinated plants (who may not have any Plant Description Page in this website) in the 12 colours per month pages of the Bee-pollinated Index Gallery.

The importance of garden plants yielding nectar and pollen is that together they provide a continuous food supply - from willows and crocuses in early spring to ivy in late autumn. Colonies of bees need food through their active season , so that they can develop and rear new bees. This food supply used to be provided by pastures that came into flower before they were cut, by verges and hedgerows, and by abundant weeds. Nowadays the efficiency of agriculture has greatly reduced these resources for the bees.

The list for gardens exclude most crop plants, most fruits and all very invasive plants that are difficult to control.

It is designed for Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

"Ordinary garden soil" is pH 5-7 and contains some humus-forming material.

The report below details which plants in Greater San Francisco Bay Area Region of the USA were visited by each different bee family; and therefore will aid you in selection of plants that are bee-pollinated rather than wind-pollinated, besides the ones that I have listed in my table below:-

RECORD OF NATIVE BEES FOUND IN THE GREATER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA REGION, WITH SOME OF THEIR LIKELY PLANT HOSTS

Compiled by Laura Arneson

Landscape Noise Reduction

Road Noise, Airport Noise, Industrial Units and Railway Noise next to gardens is detrimental to humans living in those houses within those gardens. There are 4 methods commonly used for sound attenuation (the reduction of intensity of outdoor sounds before they reach the receiver) :-

• Sound Absorption. This method uses plants to entrap or absorb sound vibrations.
• Sound Deflection and Reflection. This method causes the noise to be bounced away from the recipient and sometimes back toward the source.
• Sound Refraction. This little known effect occurs when noise is dissipated, diffused or dispersed by striking a rough surface on any plain.
• White Noise. It is designed to create sound that is appealing to the human brain as a mask for undesirable noise. The most widely used method is a fountain that makes loud splashes.

Using these bee-pollinated plants between estates in the public ambling area and between the houses/gardens and the noise will reduce that relevant noise level using the Sound Absorption Method; and be suitable for everyone including Hay Fever sufferers:-

• 1. Install chain link fence on strong supports with 12 inch (30 cms) gap at bottom (to allow local wildlife - hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, frogs and newts access) and 48 inch (120 cms) chainlink between 12 and 60 inch (30 and 150 cms) from ground on estate boundary. Add 4th Line Wire on top links to prevent that chainlink from sagging. Plant ivy, Rosa with it's 'Single Flowers' cultivars (see below) and thornless blackberries so that they can then climb onto that chainlink fencing within the inside of that public ambling area.
• 2. Plant mixture of bulbs, evergreen perennials, herbaceous perennials, deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, which grow between 18 and 96 inches (45 and 240 cms) high - add the eventual width of a pair and divide that by 2 as the planting distance between them. This combined with their different heights will produce a random effect in this minimum-width of 96 inches (240 cms) area and 72 inch width (180 cms) of area 4. It is also most likely that viewing from one side to the estate boundary, you are unlikely to see the bottom of the chainlink. Use 30% evergreen and the rest is herbaceous/deciduous to provide a change throughout the year for the estate inhabitants to enjoy on their rambles. The blackberries on the estate boundary and the fruit from each of the 3 cherries, 3 apple and 3 pear for each estate can either be enjoyed by the humans or the wildlife. Mulch the area with 4 inch thick (10 cms) of Bark before planting and thoroughly soak the ground after planting. Then, sow White Clover (see Green Manure) over the whole of both areas 2 and 4 to provide Nitrogen to the other plants and reduce evaporation of the irrigated water in between the 2 soakings each year.
  Thoroughly soak the ground in August to provide the shrubs and fruit trees with the water to be stored in their roots and then be used during the spring foliage production. Thoroughly soak the ground again in April to provide their water supply during the later spring and summer.
• 3. 48 inch wide (120 cms) path using ECCOGravel. After the ECCOGravel is installed, use different coloured pea-shingle to create games like snakes and ladders, hopscotch or noughts and crosses or a picture. This path allows the rain to drain through and be used by the plants on either side. If you wear women's high heels, you will have no problem walking on this path. You can also use it for remote-controlled model cars or landing remote-control model aircraft.
• 4. A repeat of of 2. without the blackberries or fruit trees - If the fruit is only on the other side of the path, then the fruit pickers will not be tempted to try the home owners side.
• 5. Install chain link fence on strong supports with 72 inch (180 cms) chainlink on top of ground level on private garden boundary. Add 4th Line Wire on top links to prevent that chainlink from sagging. Plant ivy so that it can then climb onto that chainlink fencing from inside the public ambling area.

If the house owner has a noise problem from outside their property, then they can use the same solution as above using 1, 2, 3 and 4 only. Their sheds and storage facilities can be installed in area 4 with path 3. leading to them.

Single flowered cultivars (some are marked as 'Single Flowers') are more useful to bees than double flowered cultivars.
Bloom type depends on the number of petals for Roses:-

• Single blooms are fully opened and almost flat, consisting of 1-7 petals per bloom.
• Semi-double blooms consist of 8-15 petals in two rows.
• Double blooms consist of 16-25 overlapping petals in three or more rows.
• Full: 26-40 petals in three or more rows.
• Very full: 40+ petals in three or more rows.

The final column shows the value of the plant to bees (honeybees and hive bees):

• N and P indicate that they collect Nectar and Pollen, respectively.
• Plants especially used by Bumble Bees are marked B.
• The absence of all 3 entries (N,P,B) for a few plants reflects insufficiency of observations as to what it is that bees collect from that plant.
   

Plant Name

with link to mail-order nursery in UK / Europe

Common Name

Flowering Months of Plant Named but not "and it's cultivars"

Flowering Colour of Plant Named but not "and it's cultivars"

Height x Spread in inches (cms).
Plants between
24 and 72 inches (60 and 180 cms) in Height

Plant Type
(Per = Perennial) with link to
Plant Description Page,
Companion Planting Page, Rock Garden Index Page
and/or Wildlife Family Page in this website

Comment

The RHS has compiled this list of plants that will provide nectar and pollen for bees and many other types of pollinating insects:-
Compiled by Andrew Halstead, RHS Principal Entomologist.
The plants detailed below start with the plants from the above list which flower in
Spring Mar-May

N for Nectar
P for Pollen
B for Bumble Bee

Acer campestre

Native in Maple Family

Use the free tree ID app for Android and Iphone to identiy the UK's native and non-native trees.

Maple,
Field Maple

May-Jun

Male Flower. Both Male and Female flowers are in clusters on same tree. Attractive to aphids, ladybirds and moth, Small mammals eat the fruits

Yellowish-Green Cup-shaped followed by large, winged fruits which are dispersed by wind.

Female Flower bud

Full Sun, Part Shade

180 x 120 (450 x 300)

Field Maple trees grow and estimated 16-24 (40-60 cms) a year.

Excellent shelter for local birds and wildlife through spring and summer

Wildflower ,

Small, dark green and shiny, with 5 lobes and rounded teeth. Fades to golden yellow in autumn.

Wet

Deciduous Tree on chalk in woodland and old hedge-rows, coastal sites and windy, exposed sites.

Use for 40-160 inch (100-400 cms) high hedges

N P

Major bee plant.
Also used by Bumble-bees

Acer platanoides and it's cultivars

Unfortunately, when my wife attended a conference in Belfast in October 2022, the maternity unit at the Hastings Hotel was devoid of newly created plastic yellow Norn Iron Ducks, which are given away to the guests. It took a couple of days before another was borne and she was eggstatic to bring it home for her husband's bath so that he could read all its printed wisdom. I wonder if her husband - with his Top Hat and Dickie (who has orchestrated the regimented sandwiches with your own mint icecream on ginger nut base and chocolate sheet above) - sitting on the napkin for the start of your teatime - looks after the ducklings when off duty by taking them to the leisure pool in Culloden Estate & Spa for swimming lessons!

Norway Maple

Mar
Flowering occurs before the new leaves emerge.

Upright corymbs of yellow flowers

followed by seeds

960 x 600 (2400 x 1500)

Large, broadly ovate, dark green leaves turn clear yellow or sometimes red in autumn.

Vigorous, spreading, deciduous tree with a broad, rounded crown and tolerates poor, compacted soils, but not under concrete, tarmac or stone.

"Especially when used in pavements on streets, it can have insufficient space for its root network and is prone to the roots wrapping around themselves, girdling and killing the tree."
See Photos 6 and 7 of tree 100 in Funchal pavement where girdling is occuring - this tree was planted less than 20 inches (50cm) from the road and only allowed less than 1 square metre for the trunk and its roots to have access to air and rain. Looking at the other trees then assume that this tree is 10 metres high, with therefore 10 metre radius of roots which is 314 square metres area of the circle means that this tree only has less than 0.0318% of its roots exposed to air and rain. I wonder if a human could survive on only having the area of its ear passage, to feed, breathe and drink from, but that is what the very cruel humans do to trees in pavements all over the world.

N P

Acer pseudo-platanus

Native in Maple Family

Sycamore

Apr - May

Yellowish - Green

Full Sun

1400 x 1000 (3500 x 2500)

Wildflower ,

Dark Green turn golden-yellow in Autumn /
Moist

Deciduous Tree.
Prefers well-drained acid soil, but tolerates chalk soil

N P B

honey. Major bee plant

Acer saccharum

Sugar maple

Aesculus hippocastanum

Please grow the Indian Horse Chestnut instead of this Horse-Chestnut

Conker Tree, Horse-Chestnut

Apr - May

This is one of the plants poisonous to horses.

White

Full Sun

1400 x 700
(3500 x 1750)

Dark Green

Moist

This needs a lot of space to grow with its wood being soft and weak, which does not burn well.

Deciduous Tree on well-drained soil from Greece and Albania.

Its fruit is called conkers and is used in a childrens game. Trees are normally planted in avenues.
 

N P B

Ajuga reptans

Native plant. Bugle

Arabis caucasica and its cultivars

Garden Arabis is Native in Crucifer (Cabbage/Mustard) 1 Family

Mountain Rock Cress,
Garden Arabis,
Caucasian Rockcress

Apr-May

Sweet-scented White or Pink

It is deer and rabbit resistant.

Butterflies are attracted to the flowers, which make excellent cut flowers

8 x 39
(20 x 97)

Rock Garden
Cut back foliage after bloom to promote denser growth habit. This will also encourage a more healthy foliage growth.  Failure to cut back can lead to long, bare branches with foliage only appearing at the ends, and will also limit the spread of its rhizomes. 

Mat-forming Evergreen Perennial which is naturalised on walls, rocks and cliffs in chalk soil. Grow in full sun in gritty, alkaline well-drained moist soil as a groundcover on slopes or banks. Use in Butterfly Garden, Drought Tolerant Garden, edging and when set off against a backdrop of large rocks in a Rock Garden.

It is resistant to dry soil, heat and poor soil.

Companions - Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant', Iberis sempervirens, Bellis perennis 'Pomponette, Aubretia deltoidea.

Edging Perennials and their companions.

N P

Aubrieta x cultorum and its cultivars
(Aubretia deltoidea)

Aubretia

Mar-May

Many Colours

of cross-shaped, 4-petalled flowers /
Full Sun

12 x 18
(30 x 45)

Evergreen Per

Dark Green, small hairy leaves /
Dry or Moist on Well-drained alkaline (chalk) soil

Seed available from Zhong Wei Horticultural Products Company in Yunnan, China for shipping to all countries in the world.

Mat-forming occuring among rocks, in scree and in coniferous woodland from Europe to Central Asia.

Grow on walls, as ground cover on a sunny bank, edging or in a rock garden.
Cut back after flowering to maintain compactness.

Aubretia Companions - Phlox subulata, Alyssum saxatile and Iberis sempervirens.

N P B

Aurinia saxatilis and its cultivars
(Alyssum saxatilis)

Alyssum Gold Dust, Basket of Gold

Attracts butterflies

Mar-Jun

Fragrant Bright Yellow

8 x 12
(20 x 30)

Spacing at 12 (30)

Evergreen Per
Grey-green foliage.
Well-drained soil
Full Sun
Dry. Tolerates drought once established

An ideal 'carpeting' perennial for bedding, edging, rock gardens and dry walls. Grow in containers

N P

Berberis darwinii

Berberis thunbergii

Buxus sempervirens

Native plant. Box

Caltha palustris
and it's cultivars

Marsh Marigold, Kingcup, Mayflower

Native UK plant

Mar-Jun

Buttercup Yellow /
Full Sun

As marginal plants they will grow up to 20cm (8ins) under water; and can grow up to 50cm (20ins) in height.

Herbaceous Per
Dark Green.
Wet

Bog and Marginal Pond Aquatic Perennial /
Pond margins and bog gardens

N P B

Nectar and Pollen is also collec-ected from its culti-vars

Cercis siliquastrum

Judas Tree

Will not survive when its roots are covered by tarmac, concrete, stone or paving

May

Most Flowers are produced on the previous year's wood

Purple-rose, pea-shaped

flowers are borne as leaves are produced followed by light grey/green seed pods, which persist all winter.

Full Sun but prefers Part Shade

5 years
60 x 60
(150 x 150)

10 years
120 x 120
(300 x 300)

20 years
240 x 240
(600 x 600)

Deeply veined, broad, heart-shaped leaves, purple/green with a blue sheen.

Tolerates dry soil, but prefers moist

A very attractive fan-trained large deciduous shrub for south-facing walls from woodland, woodland margins, and on rocky hillsides in southern Europe through to the Orient. Does best on neutral to acid well-drained soil types like calcareous sand. Older round-headed, half-open crown, plants resent transplanting.

It eventually reaches 480 (1200) but extremely slowly, taking 50 years or more in most northerly locations. Protrudes up to 48 (120) from support if fan-trained, 144 (350) untrained. Use same support system as for Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue'.

N P

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Moerloosei'

Apple Blossom Ornamental Quince, Japanese Quince

Mar-Apr

Large white flowers, flushed dark pink are produced in thick clusters on wood 2 or more years old. Large, pear-shaped fruits follow the flowers, ripening to bright yellow.

Tolerates all aspects from Full Sun to deep Shade

5 years
84 x 84
(210 x 210)

10 years
144 x 144
(370 x 370)

20 years
168 x 168
(430 x 430)

Protrudes 36-48 (91-120) from support

Elliptic, medium-sized, mid-green. Some yellow autumn colour. Stem has isolated large rigid thorns.

Apart from growth required for fan training, remove all previous season's growth back to 2 buds in spring before flowering, making sure that flowering buds are not removed.

A fine flowering shrub, very attractive when pruned correctly as a fan-trained wall or fence shrub from mountain woodland in China and Japan.

Does well on any well-drained, fertile, soil.

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Nivalis' has white flowers.
Chaenomeles speciosa 'Port Eliot' has large red flowers.
Chaenomeles speciosa 'Snow' has pure white flowers.
Chaenomeles speciosa 'Umbilicata' has deep salmon-pink flowers and comes from Japan

N P B

Chaenpmeles japonica

Japanese quince

Chaenomeles x superba

Japanese quince

Erysimum cheiri and it's cultivars
(Cheiranthus cheiri)
 

Native in Crucifer (Cabbage/Mustard) 2 Family

Wallflower, Fleur de Nostra-Dama, Flor de pasque, Gillflower, Goldlack, Saint Geourges, Saint Jean, Todrilal,
Wild Wallflower

Mar-Jun

Fragrant, Orange-Yellow, Yellow, Brick Red or Orange

followed by cylcindrical pods containing yellow-brown seeds

Full Sun

18 x 6
(45 x 15)

Wildflower Bedding.

Stiff untoothed narrow lanceolate grey-green leaves covered with branched appressed hairs in a rosette.

Dry

Biennial on cliffs, old walls and rocks on chalk.

The gardener's mainstay for spring bedding.

N P B

Cornus mas

Corn-elian cherry

Crataegus monogyna

Native plant. Hawthorn

Crocus and it's cultivars like
Crocus vernus
(Crocus purpureus, Spring Crocus, Purple Crocus) -
Crocus vernus 'Flower Record'

From Bee pollinated flowers in winter Nov-Feb in Plants Folder

Other Crocus cultivars in Colchicum/ Crocus Gallery

Crocus

Feb-Apr

Purple

in Native Iris Family

5 x 2
(13 x 5)

Bulb ,
Companions

The Dark Green - with a White band in the centre - leaves appear with the flowers.
It is also good for the bees. Good for naturalizing and planting under turf

Corm.
Full Sun, Part Shade.
Sand, Chalk. Can be planted under trees, under shrubs, in borders and containers. Plant in groups for the best effect.

Crocuses provide an excellent and important source of early pollen for honeybees.

N P

Doronicum x excelsum

Leopard's bane

Enkianthus campanultaus

Erica carnea and its cultivars

Erica carnea cultivars are listed in the
Erica carnea Index

Winter Heath,
Mountain Heath

Oct-May

18 Heather Flower Colours shown in Erica carnea Site Map

9 x 23
(23 x 58)

Heather
Plants can be sheared lightly after flowers fade but not any later as flower buds are formed as early as July in the UK.  Annual light shearing, especially while plants are young, makes for a bushier plant that does not form a bare, woody center with age. 

Erica carnea is one of the hardiest of heathers.  Provides good winter color with its long blooming season. When spaced properly, they form a carpet for a good ground cover. Established plants need little care. Most carneas are prostrate in habit and grow quickly.  These are excellent for rock gardens, slopes and drifts of much needed winter colour.  New tip growth is often cream colored.  Erica carnea are some of the easiest heathers to grow and thrive in almost any soil.  Any winter damaged stems can be pruned in spring. 

N P B

Erica x darleyensis

Heath

Euphorbia characias

Spurge

Euphorbia polychroma

Spurge

Geranium phaeum

Dusky cranesbill

Hebe species & cultivars

Helleborus x hybridus

Hellebore

Iberis saxatilis

Candy-tuft

Iberis semper-virens

Perennial candytuft

Ilex aquifolium

Native plant. Holly

Lamium maculatum

Dead nettle

Lunaria annua

Honesty

Mahonia aquifolium

Oregon grape

Malus baccata

Crab apple

Malus domestica

Edible apple

Malus floribunda

Crab apple

Malus hupehensis

Crab apple

Malus sargentii

Crab apple

Mespilus germanica

Medlar

Muscari armeniacum

Grape hyacinth

Ornithogalum umbellatum

Star of Beth-lehem

Pieris formosa

Pieris japonica

Primula vulgaris

Native plant. Primrose

Prunus 'Accolade'

Flowering cherry

Prunus avium

Native plant. Wild and edible cherries

Prunus domestica

Edible plum

Prunus dulcis

Almond

Prunus laurocerasus

Cherry laurel

Prunus mume

Flower-ing cherry

Prunus padus

Native plant. Bird cherry

Prunus persica

Peach / nectarine

Prunus spinosa

Native plant. Black-thorn / sloe

Prunus tenella

Flowering cherry

Prunus x yedoensis

Flowering cherry

Pulmonaria angustifolia

Lung-wort

Pulmonaria saccharata

Lungwort

Pyrus communis

Pear

Ribes nigrum

Black-currant

Ribes rubrum

Red / white currant

Ribes sanguineum

Flowering currant

Salix caprea

Native plant. Goat willow - male form, not female

Salix hastata 'Wehrhahnii'

Willow

Salix lanata

Willow

Skimmia japonica

Smyrnium olusatrum

Alexanders

Stachyurus chinensis

Stachyurus praecox

Taraxacum officinale

Native plant. Dandelion

Vaccinium cory

Allium and it's cultivars

Other Alliums in Allium/ Anemone Gallery and
Native in Lily Garlic Family

Garlic

Mar-Nov

Many colours

18 x24
(45 x 60)

Bulb ,
Companions and
Plant Combinations

As a general rule the foliage will emerge first and then die down as the flower stems emerge. It is often best to plant them with other plants that will mask the unsightly foliage as it dies back.

All Alliums have the distinctive onion smell, both in the foliage and bulb. This smell can be used to reduce aphid infestations on flowers by planting 1 each side of the infected plant with a short length of bamboo to indicate that its foliage comes from an ornamental onion rather than a blade of grass.

For best effect plant Medium Allium species with smaller heads en masse and use the larger headed species as accents (speciman plants).

"Alliums last well and are decorative for flower arrangements as they make a very distinctive shape in a mixed group.

N P

Anemone blanda and it's cultivars

Other Anemones in Allium/ Anemone Gallery and
Anemone nemerosa (Wood Anemone) is Native in Buttercup Family

Grecian Windflower

Apr-May

Blue, Pink or White

Anemone blanda is Deep Blue in Apr-May. They open their blooms in the morning and shut them at night.

Require to be dry during their dormancy period during the summer, otherwise moist soil.

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Bulb ,
Companions and these other Companion plants from Department of Horticultural Science of NC State University for Anemone blanda and its cultivars.
Natural habitat is sandy soil enriched by leaf mould in established woodlands, where they receive both full sun and part shade. Also grows well on the warm chalk soils near the south coast of England.

Woodlands,
Mass plant.
Deer, rabbit resistant.
Planted in pots, or bowls in sandy soil, Anemones prove most attractive in the cold greenhouse or Alpine House during the summer, autumn and winter, before putting pots out in the spring after the last frost.
Ground cover.
Carpet under small deciduous shrubs.
Suitable Anemones for the Rock garden:-

• Anemone alpina
• Anemone apennina
• Anemone blanda
• Anemone coronaria
• Anemone fulgens
• Anemone hepatica
• Anemone hortensis
• Anemone narcissiflora
• Anemone nemerosa
• Anemone pratensis
• Anemone pulsatilla
• Anemone sulphurea
• Anemone sylvestris

P B

Armeria and it's cultivars

Armeria maritima (Thrift) and Armeria arenaria (Broad-leaved Thrift) are
Native in Sea Lavender Family

Thrift,
Sea Pink,
Sea Thrift

12,450 species are available from KPR Gardeners Club to Europe.

Apr-Oct

In every shade of Pink or in some cases purple, white, or red

Armeria maritima (Thrift)

12 x 12
(30 x 30)

Evergreen Per
has cushions of rather fleshy, usually 1-veined, linear mid green leaves.
Full Sun
Dry soil

Native habitat on sea-cliffs, stone walls, shingle, saltmarshes, stony flushes and on riverside shingle. Will grow beside salt-treated roads.

Grow in xeriscapes or rock gardens and suitable for coastal locations

N P B

Aster alpinus and its cultivars

Alpine Aster,
Blue Alpine Daisy

Attracts butterflies and birds

May-Jul

Blue-violet rays and golden-yellow centres

It has indigo, violet, white, pink or blue flowers.
Cut back after flowering

6-12 x 6-12
(15-30 x 15-30)

Herbaceous Per with narrow dark green leaves.
Full Sun.
Moist well-drained Chalk or Sand Soil

Requires at least 90 frost free days for proper growth.

Native habitat in high mountains above the timber line in the Alps and Pyrenees.

Grow in Rock Garden, Cottage Garden, Banks, Slopes or large Patio containers, where it slowly spreads with a neat and compact habit.

Plant Combinations from Gardenia.

N P

Centaurea montana

Mountain Bluet, Perennial Cornflower, Mountain Cornflower, Montane Knapweed.

May-Sep

Violet-Blue

Full Sun,
Part Shade

18 x 24
(45 x 60)
This plant has become an invasive species in British Columbia, Canada.

Evergreen Per, so it can prepare to flower while deciduous trees and shrubs are bare of leaves.

They are so good for wildlife and bio-diversity that  farmers are advised to plant them in and around their fields and crops

Grows in meadows and open woodland in the upper montane. Well-drained sand or chalk soil, which does not dry out, so mulch it in the spring.
Suitable for cutting and groundcover.
Mound-forming plant goes well with Campanula glomerata 'Superba', Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low', Geranium himalayense 'Baby Blue', Pulmonaria 'Opal'. Also with Erigeron, Perovskia and Dianthus.

N B

Centaurea cyanus and it's cultivars

Native in
Daisy Thistle Family - the native plant is almost extinct

Cornflower (Bachelor's Button)
which is very scarce in cornfields and more often seen as a garden escape

Jul-Sep or May-Jul dependent on when sown

Blue

There are varieties with blue, white, purple, pink or even black petals.
Full Sun

23 x 6
(57 x 15)

Seeds are favourite food of the European Goldfinch.

Wildflower Annual with narrow, lance-shaped, mid-green leaves. Mulch to prevent drying out of soil.

Naturalise in a sunny wildflower meadow.
Attracts butterflies.
The nectar of Centaurea cyanus is very sweet with a sugar content of 34%. Due to its high sugar production of up to 0.2 mg sugar per day and flower, the species is highly appreciated by beekeepers.

N P

Chionodoxa forbesii and it's cultivars

Chionodoxa forbesii 'Pink Giant',
Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant'

Glory of the Snow

Mouse, Rabbit and Deer resistant

Feb-Apr

Pink, or Blue varieties, Star-shaped

Full Sun,
Part Shade

4-8 x 2-4
(10-20 x 5-10)

Bulb with dark green leaves

Free-draining sand, chalk.
Excellent upright naturaliser which gradually spreads over the years to produce groundcover swathes. Also plant under trees, in pots, gravel garden, coastal garden and cottage garden

N P

Cotoneaster conspicuus

Trees and Shrubs Online is a project to create a truly modern reference to temperate trees and shrubs. The International Dendrology Society is dedicated to promoting the knowledge of trees and shrubs and is pleased to be able to stand behind this important project.

Tibetan cotoneaster,
大果栒子 da guo xun zi

May-Jun

Cup-shaped White

Full Sun for best berry production and shelter from strong winds, Part Shade

60 x 96
(150 x 250)

Evergreen Shrub. Small, narrowly-elliptic, dark green

Native in South-East Tibet.
Sand or Sandy Clay.
A dense, mound-forming arching shrub. Produces flowers singly or in clusters of 5 followed by shiny red berres that persist into winter. Although birds love the ripe berries do not eat them yourself unless you want a stomach upset.

Hortipedia, the plant database that lets you search and find plants by life-form, bloom color, bloom time, size, and many more criteria. Our database currently holds entries about more than 32000 plants.

N P B

Cotoneaster dammeri

Bearberry Cotoneaster

May-Jun

Fragrant White with pink outer sides
followed by bright red, purple and black globose berries providing food for wildlife

Full sun,
Part Shade

8 x 72 (20 x 180)

Evergreen Shrub. Elliptical, leathery, dark green with underside of gray-green. The leaves turn purple in the autumn. Root system of finely branched and very shallow roots, so do not hoe under this plant.

Grows in mountainous regions, on cliff sides and in open, mixed forests on dry and chalk soils.

Use as weed-suppressing evergreen groundcover on well-drained clay, chalk or sand. It stabilises banks of soil, because it can lay down its roots quickly. Replace lawn with this if you do not have the time to cut the lawn every 2 weeks or you do not use the lawn for any activities. You can use it as a groundcover between trees and tall shrubs.

N P B

Cotoneaster horizontalis 'Variegatus'

Herringbone Cotoneaster,
Wall Spray Cotoneaster,
Rock Cotoneaster

May-Jul

Red

Coton-easter horizont-alis.

flowers are followed by berries, which are eaten by birds.
Performs best in Full Sun, but is okay in Part shade

18 x 40
(45 x 100)

Deciduous Shrub. The long arching stems are clothed in small oval shaped green leaves with a soft cream margin. These turn red and pink in Autumn.
Excellent shelter for wildlife.

Moist

Fertile, well-drained chalk or Sand.
Use as low growing edging in beds or woodland shadier areas. Use as a weed-suppressing groundcover carpet or trained against a wall to showcase its herringbone pattern.

Companions - try planting under Lilac or Spiraea, or in a mixed border with eoonymus and a splash of colour with some Heucheras.

N P B

Crocus chrysanthus like
Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl'

See other Crocus chrysanthus cultivars in Colchicum/ Crocus Gallery

Crocus

Jan-Mar

Light
Lobelia-Blue with White margin

4 x 3
(10 x 8)

Rock Garden,
Companions

The Dark Green leaves are produced with the flowers

If placed near the root crowns of deciduous shrubs, winter-flowering crocus get the sun they need in late winter & early spring when they bloom, then when they are dormant, the roots of the shrubs will soak up the water to keep the corms from steeping in too much moisture, so not at risk of rot.

N P

Crocus
tommasinianus

Early Crocus

Jan-Mar

Cobalt-Violet with outside Silvery-Grey

4 x 1
(10 x 3)

Perennial Corm

The 8-9 inch (20-23) long Grey-Green leaves are produced with the flowers.

Full Sun (Full Sun for 4 hours a day)and Part Shade. Full Sun will make the blooms open fully.
Sand, Chalk.
Crocus tommasinianus reproduces rapidly by self-seeding and by corm offsets. The cormlets are much too tiny to ever sieve out of the soil, and wherever the tommies spread on their own, that's where they will always remain.

P

Cytisus x beanii

Broom

Apr-May

Rich Yellow

arching sprays of
pea-like flowers appear on last on previous year's wood.

24 x 36
(60 x 90)

Deciduous Shrub. Mid Green leaves, divided into 3 leaflets, are small.

Dry

Full Sun and well-drained soil for this mat to hummock-forming shrub, which is too large for the smaller rock garden. One of the brooms that tolerate alkaline soils.

N P B

Cytisus x kewensis like Cytisus x kewensis 'Niki'.
See Cytisus Shrubs Plant Catalogue with their Plants for a Purpose lists. Perryhill Nurseries is only open on Monday to Sunday.

Broom

May

Pea-like Yellow Flowers

18 x 60
(45 x 150)

Semi-prostrate
Deciduous Shrub. Tiny green leaves held on long thin stems.

All Cytisus like well drained soil in full sun, but dislike shallow chalk and very acid soils.

N P B

Daphne cneorum and its cultivars

All parts of this plant are poisonous to humans, dogs, cats and horses.

Garland Flower,
Rose Daphne

Apr-May

Clusters of strongly scented
Rose-Pink or White

Full Sun,
Part Shade

6 x 72
(15 x 180)

Evergreen Shrub with smooth dark green leaves with trailing and branching stems

Grow in Rock Garden in slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil. Also grow in Gravel Garden or Coastal Garden.

N P

Eranthis hyemalis (Buy "in the Green",
Winter Aconite)

From Bee pollinated flowers in winter Nov-Feb in Plants Folder

Native in
Buttercup Family

Winter Aconite

Jan-Mar

Flowers opening above 10 degrees Centi-grade.

Yellow /

Full Sun or Part Shade

6 x 12
(15 x 30)

Wildflower Rhizome,
Companions

Mid Green, which dies back in the summer / Moist.
Glossy green horizontal foliage appearing after the flowers.

A small, tuberous perennial, dying back in summer. It is naturalised, sometimes in large numbers, in open woodland, grassland and scrub associated with habitation, under park trees, in gardens and on road verges. Visited by hive-bees and flies.

PNB

Eschscholzia californica and Thai Silk Series cultivars

California Poppy, Golden Poppy, California Sunlight, Cup of Gold

Feb - Sep

Yellow to Orange with
'Apple-blossom Bush' - Pink
'Dali' - Red
'Lemon Bush' - Pale Yellow
'Rose Chiffon' - Pink and White
Thai Silk Series - mixed colours

Full Sun

60 x 20
(150 x 50)

Bedding

Blue-Green /
Dry

Annual /
Sandy, well-drained, poor soil

N P B

Fritillaria meleagris

Native in
Lily Family

Fritillary,
Snake's Head Fritillary

Apr-May

Purple to White

 

12 x 6 (30 x 15)

Wildflower ,
Companions

A bulbous perennial herb of damp, sometimes winter-flooded, neutral grasslands, usually those managed for hay with aftermath grazing. It is frequently planted in other grassland habitats and sometimes becomes naturalised.

N P B

Galanthus nivalis and its cultivars (Buy "in the Green")

From
Bee pollinated flowers in winter Nov-Feb in Plants Folder

Native in Daffodil Family

Snowdrop - single flowered forms

Feb-Mar

Very fragrant Creamy- White
followed by black berries. 
Part Shade,
Full Shade

8 x 4
(20 x 10)

Wildflower Bulb

Narrow, grey-green.

Moist, but well-drained, chalk, sand, clay

A bulbous perennial herb of moist woodlands and other shaded places. It is especially frequent in parks, large gardens and churchyards, but also occurs on road verges, by watercourses and in damp grassland. Spread is mainly by division of the bulbs, as seed production is poor.

N P B

Pollen is collec-ted from the Wild-flower but not from the double flowers of the garden varie-ties.

Genista hispanica and its cultivars

Companions - Santolina chamae-cyparissus, Stachys byzantina, Erica carnea 'December Red', Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation'

Spanish Gorse

is drought-tolerant, with deer and rabbit resistant. Plant on edge of raised bed to cascade over the bed. New growth will not rejuvenate from old wood.

May-Jun

Golden-Yellow

pea-like flowers in clusters.

Full Sun

30 x 60
(75 x 150)

Space at 60 (150)

Ovate-oblong, mid-green prickly leaves, only present on flowering branches.

Dry

Dense, mound-forming, spiny, deciduous shrub.

Suitable in poor infertile, well-drained Chalk or Sand.
Use on banks, slopes and wall-side borders in coastal garden, Gravel and Rock garden, Cottage Garden and Mediterranean Garden.

B

Geranium ibericum

Caucasian Cranesbill, Iberian Geranium, Caucasus Geranium

May-Jun

Violet-blue
upward-facing, cup-shaped, flowers

Full Sun,
Part Shade

20 x 24
(50 x 60)

,
Companions

9-11-lobed, basal leaves.

Dry to Moist

Clump-forming, hairy herbaceous perennial, from Caucasus, North-east Turkey and Northern Iran.
Well-drained soil.

Use as ground cover in dry sites

N P

Geranium versicolor
(Geranium striatum,
Geranium versicolour)

Native in Geranium Family

Pencilled Cranesbill

Do you fancy Beeswax Wraps or Seedballs for Wildlife?

May-Oct

Pale Pink, funnel-shaped

Full Sun,
Part Shade

18 x 18
(45 x 45)

Wildflower ,
Companions

Brown-marked, light green, basal leaves.

This semi-evergreen perennial grows in large tufts. A garden escape, usually in isolated clumps on hedge-banks in most well-drained soils. Use as edge, in pots, cutflower, groundcover, cottage garden, wildflower garden and rock garden

It is possible to find a geranium to suit most parts of your garden

N

Geum and its cultivars

Native in Rose 2 and Rose 4 Family

Water Avens
(Geum rivale,
Nodding Avens,
Drooping Avens,
Cure-all,
Water Flower,
Indian Chocolate,
Purple Avens)

May-Sep

Seeds are burr-like and caught in the coats of rabbits and other small mammals.

Red

 

Full Sun,
Part Shade

6-18 x 18-30
(15-45 x 45-75)

Clump-forming, evergreen and bushy

Wildflower

Companions - Geraniums, Grasses. Potentilla and Fragaria. Also try Dryopteris, Epimedium, Polygonatum, Trollius, Euphorbia and Primulas.

A perennial herb of mildly acidic to calcareous, slow-draining or wet soils, in shaded or open habitats, including streamsides and flushes in deciduous woodland, carr, herb-rich hay meadows and montane willow scrub and tall-herb communities on ledges. Reproduction is by seed and by rhizomatous spread.
When grown in pots they are very straggly, but when planted in the ground they will be much more compact, bushy and upright.

N P

Gilia capitata

Native plant of North America and common component of wildflower seed mixes

Queen Anne's Thimbles, Blue-thimble-flower, Bluehead gilia, blue field gilia, globe gilia

May-Aug

Lavender-blue, in terminal pincushion like heads of 50-100 flowers

Full Sun

18-24 x 8-9 (45-60 x 20-23)

Feathery, 2-pinnate dark green leaves.

Companions - Eschscholzia caifornica, Clarkia species, Nemophila menziesii, Delphinium cardinale, Allium species and native to North America grasses

Erect Annual from Eastern North America on open, dry slopes.

Use as bedding in sandy or rocky soils and as a cutflower. It also attracts butterflies, so use for butterfly Garden and for Bee Garden. Suitable for Coastal Garden.

N P

Hebe pinguifolia 'Pagei'

Burncoose Nurseries provides this Hebe Growing Guide.

Shrubby Veronica

Butterfly friendly. Companion - Hebe 'Silver Dollar'

May-Jun

White flowers in dense, axillary spikes

12 x 36
(30 x 90)

4-ranked, obovate-elliptic, leathery, blue-green leaves.

Erect then semi-prostrate shrub in rock garden and in coastal regions from New Zealand.

Use as ground cover to inhibit weed growth in moist chalk or sand soil in Full Sun or Part Shade with shelter from cold winds..

N B

Acanthus hungaricus
(Acanthus balcanicus,
Acanthus longifolius)

Bear's breeches

Crocus states that this plant goes well with a Dewit perennial planter - this companion needs polishing each week

May-Jul

White or pale pink flowers in upright flower spikes, each with a green or purplish hood

Full Sun,
Part Shade

60 x 36
(150 x 90)

Oblong-ovate, dark green leaves.

Clump-forming herbaceous perennial dies back to below ground level in the autumn. Originates in moist open woodland and scrub in sand.

Water well during hot, dry spells to minimise risk of powdery mildew. Excellent for cutting, fresh or dried. Use as speciman and in containers.

B

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Atropurpureum'

Japanese Maple

Apr

Tiny, purple-red flowers are followed by red-winged fruit.

Full Sun,
Part Shade

72 x 72
(180 x 180)

5- to 9- deeply lobed, red-purple leaves, turning brilliant red in autumn.

Moist, organically rich.

Round-headed, deciduous tree in well-drained chalk or sand soil. Mulch the roots of this plant in autumn to prevent the roots freezing in the winter.
Use as a colour contrast in the landscape, a focal point in cottage gardens or foil for a mass of green on banks and slopes.

N P

Acer capillipes

Acers Care guide.

"A tree for smaller gardens with ultimate height of 6-8 metres, with a 4 to 6 metres spread." Remember to plant this tree at least 12 metres from any building to prevent subsidence.

Red Snake-bark Maple

Plant this tree in its dormancy period from mid-november to late April

Apr-May

Also attractive to butterflies

Greenish white flowers in pendent racemes followed by single-seeded, winged, always in pairs fruit

Full Sun

400 x 400 (1000 x 1000)

The plant roots are shallow and do not cover them with grass which will kill it.

Broadly ovate, mid- to dark green leaves, which turn bright orange-red to deep red in the autumn. grey-white striped bark

Moist, well-drained

Deciduous tree with spreading, arching branches in vase shape from mountainous regions of Japan - usually growing alongside mountain streams - on light acidic sand.

Grow as speciman in a large garden or in a 100 cm diameter tree container in a small garden with the pot on feet so that the roots of this tree do not reach the ground

N P

Acer griseum

Paper-bark Maple

Acers "bleed" if pruned too early, so prune between November to January

Apr-May

Yellow flowers in pendent racemes

Full Sun,
Part Shade

400 x 400 (1000 x 1000)

Companions - Ginkgo biloba, Camellia sasanqua 'Crimson King', Euonymus europaeus

Dark green, 3-palmate leaves which turn orange to red and scarlet in the autumn.

Mulch annually with well-rotted manure or compost to keep the soil moist

Slow-growing, spreading, deciduous tree with peeling, orange-brown bark from Central China. Grow in well-drained acidic sand, but tolerates clay

Grow as speciman in a large garden or in a 100 cm diameter tree container in a small garden with the pot on feet so that the roots of this tree do not reach the ground. Popular bonsai subject in Europe

N P

Acer negundo 'Flamingo'

Box Elder

If you plant this tree in your lawn, then the grass will take all the rain and since it usually grows alongside streams, river flood plains and low woods it will not appreciate it

Mar-Apr

Greenish-Yellow flowers in thick bundles, before the leaves appear

Full sun,
Part Shade

300 x 300 (750 x 750)

Pale to rosy pink variegated leaves at tips of all new growths from late spring, through early summer and often into autumn. Mature leaves variegated white.

Moist to wet

See description in Climbers with winter bark page

Use as a fan-trained tree for large walls, as a shade tree and as a hedge to show its variegated foliage. Use in woodland margins.

Prone to reversion, so any branches with purely green leaves will need to be removed completely.

N P

Acer palmatum f. atropurpureum

Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'. By Jerzy Opioła, via Wikimedia Commons

Japanese Maple

Apr-May

Tiny purple star-shaped flowers

240 x 200
(600 x 500)

Deeply lobed dark purple-red leaves that turn fiery red in autumn.

Deciduous Tree used as a Wall Shrub for The Prime Site

Grow best in partly shaded situations and fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to acid rich soil.

Use - As a freestanding, upright or fan-trained deciduous tree. It also looks good in a container.

Acer palmatums benefit from shelter from fierce winds and cold in early spring as bad weather can burn the young leaves. It is slow growing with many different leaf forms and colours; all turn to brilliant reds in autumn.

N P

Acer palmatum 'Senkaki'
(Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku')

Coral Bark Japanese Maple

Apr-May

Small reddish flowers

Full Sun

240 x 180 (600 x 450)

Companions - Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire', Leocojum vernum

Deeply 5-lobed leaves opening orange-yellow, before turning soft green in summer, then turning soft yellow in autumn

Triggered by a cold spell, bright coral-red shoots in winter make a stunning focal point. Round-headed, deciduous tree in moist, but well-drained, organically rich, chalk or sand site. A smaller alternative is Acer palmatum 'Winter Flame'. Speciman plant in cottage garden, foundation plantings and in a four season border with evergreen conifers and japanese maples.

N P

Aesculus indica and it's cultivars
 

Indian Horse Chestnut, Himalayan Horse Chestnut

May-Jul

White flowers turn Pink once pollinated; the flowers are in cylindrical panicles, followed by smooth-skinned fruit

600 x 600 (1500 x 1500)

7-palmate leaves composed of obovate to lance-shaped leaflets, opening bronze and turning glossy, mid-green. Its leaves are used as cattle fodder in Northern India.

Spreading, rounded tree from North-West Himalayas. Can be used as a large-sized bonsai. Used in parkland and large estates for its foliage which turns orange and yellow in the autumn.

It tolerates chalk soils and will tolerate most well-drained soils.

N P

Caragana arborescens

and it's cultivars like Caragana arborescens 'Lorbergii'

Salt Tree

Apr-May

Small, yellow, pea-shaped flowers borne in clusters of up to 4 on thin stalks, followed in the autumn by small pods, containing 4-6 seeds

Tolerates all aspects of Sun and Shade, best in Full Sun

5 years
72 x 72
(180 x 180)

10 years
156 x 156
(400 x 400)

20 years
216 x 216
(550 x 550)

Protrudes up to 36 inches (91cm) from support.

Very thin, wispy, feathery, light grey-green leaves. Yellow autumn colour.

May be late to break leaf in spring and can appear to be dead, but grows quickly once established.

Use as a small fan-trained deciduous tree or shrub for large walls. Moderately fast growing, slowing with age.

Plant in any soil. Requires tying to wires or individual anchor points.

Further details in The Gardener's illustrated Encyclopedia of Climbers & Wall Shrubs - A guide to more than 2000 varieties including Roses, Clematis and Fruit Trees by Brian Davis. Published in Great Britain by Viking in 1990.
ISBN 0-670-82929-3

N P B

Ceanothus 'Spring flowering cultivars' like
Ceanothus 'Concha'

California Lilac

Apr-May

Reddish-purple buds open to Dark Blue - Indigo -

in numerous rounded, terminal and lateral cymes
Full Sun

120 x 120
(300 x 300)
Attracts Butterflies.
Companions - Philadelphus 'White Rock', Hyacint-hoides non-scripta, Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl'

Arching branches with finely toothed, dark green leaves.
Moist

Prune Jul-Aug and then provide a 3 inch (7 cm) depth of well-rotted manure

Dense Evergreen Shrub
Well-drained Chalk, Sand
Use as edging, trained against a wall as a climbing shrub and speciman.

N P B

Pollen in UK.
Nectar and Pollen in USA

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Nivalis'

Ornamental Quince, Flowering Quince

Mar-Apr

Pure White - green-white on first opening. 5-petalled, cup-shaped, single, flowers produced on wood 2 or more years old. Large, pear-shaped fruits follow the flowers, ripening to bright yellow.

Tolerates all aspects from Full Sun to deep Shade

5 years
84 x 84
(210 x 210)

10 years
144 x 144
(370 x 370)

20 years
168 x 168
(430 x 430)

Protrudes 36-48 (91-120) from support

Elliptic, medium-sized, mid-green. Some yellow autumn colour. Stem has isolated large rigid thorns.

Apart from growth required for fan training, remove all previous season's growth back to 2 buds in spring before flowering, making sure that flowering buds are not removed.

A fine flowering shrub, very attractive when pruned correctly as a fan-trained wall or fence shrub from mountain woodland in China and Japan.

Does well on any well-drained, fertile, soil.

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Port Eliot' has large red flowers.
Chaenomeles speciosa 'Snow' has pure white flowers.
Chaenomeles speciosa 'Umbilicata' has deep salmon-pink flowers and comes from Japan

N P B

The remainder of the entries for this table have been transferred to the third table across on the right.

Best plants for bees by BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Published: Friday, 18 March, 2022 at 8:30 am
Our gardens are extremely important for bees and other pollinators, providing them with the nectar and pollen they need to thrive, as well as nesting habitats. Nectar provides them with the energy they need to fly and find a nest, while pollen provides bee grubs with the protein they need to grow. By growing a good mix of flowering plants in your garden, you can provide a wealth of nectar and pollen for a wide range of bee species.

How to grow plants for bees

• Choose single, open flowers where you can see the central part of the flower – where the bees can access the nectar and pollen. Different bees are active at different times of the year. Some emerge from hibernation as early as February, while others are still flying in November. To give bees the best possible chance to thrive, it's therefore important to grow flowers from late winter to autumn – all year round if possible.
• Planting spring bulbs? A great way to help bees in spring is to plant spring-flowering bulbs in autumn. Bulbs are hardy and reliable plants, so you can guarantee the bees will have a source of pollen and nectar when there's little else in flower.
• Planting bulbs in containers is an easy way to ensure you don’t miss their colourful displays, especially if they’re along the front path, next to the back door or on your patio. Choosing varieties that are rich in both nectar and pollen will be a lifeline for the first emerging bumblebees, some of which come out from hibernation as early as February. Plant bulbs that flower over a long season, including early-flowering crocus and late-spring flowering fritillaries. By combining bulbs, you’ll not only create eye catching pots but attract different pollinators, too.
• Grow single flowers for bees
  Most double flowers are of little use, as they have so many petals the bees can't get to the central part of the flower, where the nectar and pollen are found. Roses and dahlias are often bred to have double flowers, but there are plenty of beautiful single-flowered varieties to grow, instead.
• Grow purple flowers for bees
  Bees can see the colour purple more clearly than any other colour, and some of the best bee plants, such as lavender, alliums, buddleia and catmint, have purple flowers. That said, many flowers in other colours will still attract bees, so don't pull them up!
• Grow tubular-shaped flowers for bees
  Tubular-shaped flowers such as foxgloves, honeysuckle, penstemons and snapdragons are an important source of food for long-tongued bees such as the garden bumblebee, Bombus hortorum.
• Grow flowers all year round
  Most bees are most active from March to September, but some emerge from hibernation early in mild winters, while buff-tailed bumblebee queens will occasionally start nesting in autumn, rather than hibernating, establishing a 'winter colony'. Aim to have at least two nectar- or pollen-rich plants in flower during winter. Plants like winter honeysuckle and winter clematis are perfect for the job.
• Spring flowers for bees

  • Bluebell

  • Bugle

  • Crab apple

  • Crocus

  • Flowering cherry and currant

  • Forget-me-not

  • Hawthorn

  • Primrose

  • Pulmonaria

  • Rhododendron is fine for bumble-bees, but toxic to honey-bees. Use Clematis as an alternative.
  'Mad Honey' from Rhododendron ponticum in its native northern Turkey is toxic to humans. The toxins of Rhododendron are grayanotoxins.
  Same lethal 'Mad Honey' problem from Azaleas, but this time with andromedotoxins. Use Digitalis as an alternative.
  Gardener's growing Rhododendrons or Azaleas are killing the local honey bee population.

  • Rosemary

• Early-summer flowers for bees

  • Campanula

  • Comfrey

  • Delphinium

  • Foxglove

  • Hardy geranium

  • Honesty

  • Hollyhock

  • Potentilla

  • Snapdragon

  • Stachys

  • Teasel

  • Thyme

  • Verbascum

• Late-summer flowers

  • Aster

  • Buddleja

  • Cardoon

  • Cornflower

  • Dahlia (single-flowered)

  • Eryngium

  • Globe thistle

  • Goldenrod

  • Heather

  • Ivy

  • Lavender

  • Penstemon

  • Scabious

  • Sedum

  • Verbena bonariensis

Site design and content copyright ©December 2006. Page structure changed September 2012. External and Internal links added May 2015. Data added to existing pages December 2017. Chris Garnons-Williams.

DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site.  

Height in inches (cms):-

25.4mm = 1 inch
304.8mm = 12 inches
12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
914.4mm = 1 yard

I normally round this to
25mm = 1 inch
300mm = 30 cms = 12 inches =1 foot,
900 mm = 3 feet = 1 yard and
1000mm = 100 cms = 1 metre = 40 inches

The bee can pollinate the flower, which can then produce a seed. Hymn 881 then instructs the seed:-

Push, little seed,
push, push, little seed,
till your head pops out of the ground.
This is the air,
and now you are there
you can have a look round.
You'll see God's sky,
you'll see God's sun,
you'll feel his raindrops one by one,
as you grow, grow, grow, grow,
grow to be wheat for bread.
So push, little seed,
push, push, little seed,
that the world may be fed.

"Plants For Bees BOOK

(By WDJ Kirk and FN Howes; Published by IBRA)

This is a ‘must-have’ book for anyone serious about gardening for bees

This would make an ideal gift for any budding gardener, with some emphasis on which plants are suitable for growing in the British Isles, though would be applicable to any country with a similar temperate climate, as honeybees around the world have pretty much the same tastes and tongue-length. Bumblebees will also forage on any plant which provides nectar, and pollen, to their liking within reach of their tongue, regardless of the origin of the plant. So bees are not prejudiced against non-native plants. Nor should we be, as long as their benefits outweigh any capacity to become invasive weeds, of course.

It is an extremely well researched work; though the author is quick to remind us that this volume by no means contains all the bees favourite plants; though it contains enough to keep us very busy and bees very happy (review by Sarah Holdsworth)" from Bee Happy Plants.

"Bee Happy Plants based at Lakehayes Organic Nursery, is a small family run business, established and put into Soil Association organic conversion in 2002. Now run by Sarah and daughter Joy, with help from other family members, various local part-time and seasonal workers; all have contributed to what has become an efficient production line of seed-raised, organic, wild species plugs, plants and more seeds.

Sarah (with experience on organic farms since the 1980’s and RHS Level 3 at Bicton Agricultural College), would say the inspiration behind Bee Happy Plants began way back on the isolated smallholding of her childhood, in countryside untouched by modern agriculture. Watching parents, Fitz and Brygid and salt-of-the-earth land-worker Fred Shire care for 25 acres: planting trees, wild and formal gardens, fruit and vegetable garden, and maintaining permanent pasture and orchard, with nothing much more than a few grazing animals, a fork, a scythe and a sense of humour. It was this idyllic, magical place brimming with wildlife in all its weird and wonderful forms, from the gentle and regular hoot of owls, to the humming and buzzing of insects.

The shock came later when it dawned that the place of her childhood was unique. Few other places like this jewel of unspoilt countryside still exist. Instead the ‘green deserts’ of monoculture expand; where weeds, insects and wildflowers are no longer welcome, birds no longer gather, and bees go hungry. Understanding that it is down to ordinary people like us, in our own gardens, to nurture something wild or heritage – we can all help to save bees’ favourite plants. Bee Happy Plants was conceived to help us do this. Sarah Holdsworth 2014  ".

For my recommendation on what to do with your prunings, kitchen scraps and grass mowings see Compost Bins in Companion Planting Page C, instead of composting them in a small 1 cubic yard domestic garden compost bin.