By Trudy Yazujian, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties
I used to tease that I was a public-school teacher to support my gardening habit. While there was a little truth to that, I loved being a teacher and had wanted to be a teacher since I was in 8th grade. But after all the lessons were planned and all the papers were graded, I headed outside to the garden. It was the garden that made my heart sing.
I have been gardening since my high school days. Although I was a reluctant gardener at the time, I became a serious gardener when I said, “I do” in 1978 and realized my new husband and I were now responsible for putting food on our table. The vegetable garden I had tended reluctantly, became my inspiration and filled my heart. I was hooked.
As time passed, I retired from teaching and started daydreaming about other things. Gardening was always in my heart, but I began thinking of honey bees. I was fascinated with everything about them. Could I become a beekeeper? In 2016, I found myself in a Master Gardener class and surprisingly, a new friend in the class was a beekeeper. I pestered Bill Baker with all kinds of questions every day at lunch time. All I wanted to do was talk about bees. That summer, when another beekeeper retired, I was asked if I wanted to buy his hive and equipment. I’ll admit I was nervous about the whole thing, but I jumped in and became a beekeeper. It was quite a steep learning curve.
There are times during the year when you need to feed your bees. It may be during a dearth of nectar, usually in August, or during the fall when you are helping them build the honey stores needed to make it through the winter. Whatever the reason or season, sometimes extra food is necessary. That made me take a good look at my landscape and assess just how much food I was providing my bees during the entire growing season. Is it enough? If not, what should I plant? Having nectar and pollen producing plants blooming during the entire growing season became essential for the well-being of my honeybees. Funny thing about that though, plant for honey bees and watch more and more native bees come to your yard. It’s a bonus.
Honey bees are generalists meaning they will visit a variety of flowers. During a foraging trip, however, the bees will visit the same species of plants making them a fantastic pollinator. No pollen is wasted carrying it from one species to a different species that is unable to use the pollen. Knowing that, plant the same species in drifts rather than single specimens. If you are short on space, consider trees or shrubs that will have many flowers on one plant waiting for a visit from honeybees. I have several of my favorites listed below.
Cue the music! “These are a few of my favorite things.”
Late Fall for Early Spring
I plant a number of spring blooming bulbs in the fall to create the first tastes of pollen and nectar for the bees that are out on a 50 degree sunny day.
- Crocus (Crocus spp) bulbs can be planted in your lawn. Choose a sunny location with good drainage. They will grow and bloom long before you need your mower.
- Winter Aconite(Eranthis hyemalis) Buy seeds online and scatter them in your lawn or flower beds. With good pollination, they will set plenty of seeds each year to share or sow.
- Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) and Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) trees provide the pollen and nectar and produce delicious fruit for you or the birds.
Summer
Early Summer is definitely Poppy (Papaver somniferum) time! They provide an enormous amount of pollen needed for those growing larvae.
Summer has so many options! Here are some of my favorites.
- Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)
- Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Calamint (Calamintha nepeta) which blooms for 4 months
- Catmint (Nepeta racemosa) check the tags for a small growing catmint. New compact variety: ‘Little Trudy’ I’ll have to find it!
- Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Black Eyed Susan Rudbekia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ or ‘Little Goldsturm’ I include the botanical name because fulgida can be hardier and a more prolific bloomer.
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
- Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) more single blooms instead of double blooms.
- Blue Annual Salvia ‘Victoria Blue’ (Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’)
Late Summer and Fall
Planting for late summer and fall blooms is critical. Honey bees are building up their stores of nectar to make into honey that will keep them alive all winter. Without these resources, and plenty of nectar/honey, bees will starve.
- Asters (Symphyotrichum spp)
- Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema) 'Sheffield Pink' is a true fall mum, thus the inclusion of the Dendranthema name. It doesn’t set buds in June like most common chrysanthemums. About the beginning of September, long stems grow and produce a simple daisy-like flower. This is the last plant blooming in my garden. It out-lasts everything else and the bees and other pollinators love it!
- Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) go for ‘Little Joe’ to conserve space.
- Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks’ is my favorite.
- Sedums (Sedum spp.)
If there is ever a dearth of nectar, it will happen in August. When I find a plant or shrub or tree that bloom in August, I grab it.
- Caryopteris (shrub): Truthfully, I take more customers to see the Caryopteris than any other shrub. It blooms in August and provides a lot of nectar on the many blooms that cover it. Gorgeous!
- Seven Sons Flower Tree (Heptacodium miconioides) can grow 15 to 20 feet and it takes my breath away. It blooms in August and provides an incredible number of blooms that are full of nectar and pollen.
Considerations for choosing plants:
- Choose open, single blooms. Bees cannot access the goodies in double blooms.
- Choose native plants when possible. Everyone wins.
- Plant in clumps.
- Let your herbs, or part of your herbs, bloom.
- Blues, whites, and purples are honeybee’s favorite colors.
- Watch the use of pesticides. I declared war on the Japanese Beetle quite a few years ago. I stopped when I realized I was killing so much more than the Japanese Beetles.
- If you target a specific annoying insect in your yard, please be aware that you will likely kill many pollinators as well as the annoying insect. It is not worth it in my opinion.
Thank you for thinking of the precious honey bee. Creating healthy habitat keeps the hives humming.
To read more about planting for honey bees: