Nowadays it’s pretty well-known that honey bees around the world are in decline. Even Monsanto and other companies that churn out pesticides are acknowledging the problem with a grand charade called a “Honey Bee Health Summit.” While we have little sway over the chemical corporatists, we can do other things to help the honey bee.
The best way to go about this in our own yards is to plant flowering trees, shrubs, and perennials native to your region. At PlantNative you can select your state and get a list of native landscaping plants. The red maple tree attracts honey bees in droves in the early spring. Perennials like purple coneflower, blanket flower, and beebalm are beautiful bee-attracting plants. Set aside a space in the yard for a mini prairie garden, which is low maintenance and full of year-round color.
Native Plant Wildlife Gardening has a great list of native plants for attracting honey bees. Use a variety of plants with different flowering times to provide year-round food. Plant flowers in large patches rather than a single one here and there, which will make it easier for bees to find.
Clover is not the nuisance plant that herbicide companies proclaim on their bags of product. Let clover grow and flower for the bees; it will die back as the grass starts to grow in late spring. Lawns can be seeded in the fall with red clover, which will bloom in the spring and provide a bounty for the bees while you enjoy the beautiful blooms.
Flowering herbs are honey bee magnets. Basil, borage, oregano, mints, and salvias are all great choices. Oregano can serve as a groundcover in a wildlife garden. Let basil flower and reseed for a continuous supply of leaves for yourself and food for the bees.
Many vegetable plants are attractive to honey bees, especially the cucurbit flowers (cucumbers, squash, melons). Broccoli makes lots of small yellow flowers that really bring in the bees, so let some broccoli go to flower after you get a few good harvests. What a joy it is to know that our pollinator friends are having a feast on the flowers after we have feasted on the vegetables. Mustard greens also make good flowers for bees and other beneficial insects.
Just as important as planting bee-friendly plants is to avoid the use of chemical pesticides. In a well managed garden using the principles of Integrated Pest Management, pesticides are rarely needed. And most problems can be dealt with using organic products like Neem oil that do not harm honey bees or other beneficial insects. Chemical pesticides leave a residue on pollen, which the bees pick up and bring back to the hive.
Justin Gardener, REALfarmacy.com