Wildflowers?

Anyone tried any? Mixtures or individual species? Some mixtures for bees would be nice. We have plenty of bees around just wondering that with wildflowers its easier to attract them to my plot?

 

Hi,

the seed mixes work well in a roughish area, otherwise if you like it neat then grow them in seed cells individually and go for it. A few need to be direct sown-poppies being one as they always without fail die off if their roots are disturbed.

 

Any flower that produces a lot of nectar and pollen will attract bees, they don't have to be wildflowers. That said, different bee species need different shaped flowers. The bumblebee conservation trust contains everything you need to know:

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/

Depending on the look that you're going for, and how much space you have, your options are limitless.

One thing not to overlook though is if you attract them in, you need to make sure they are fed for the full season. If you grow a load of early flowering plants, and then nothing useful for them from mid summer on, then its a bit of a disaster. It is equally important not to just have late summer stuff, as the new queens will start looking for somewhere to hibernate, and will factor in availability of food, so if you have late stuff to tempt them to nest nearby, but no early stuff, the poor bees will emerge hungry to an area that is bereft of food.

 

Had a nest last year on the plot (no1 uses it for about 20 years) next to ours!!!!!!
This year it wasnt there but lots of bambboo bees always in the allotment! Great!
Thanks guys!

 

I have grown many beautiful wildflowers from wildflower seed mixes. Among those good for bees are Coleus, lavenders and Hyssop. This is a good resource:

http://www.bumblebee.org/flowerlist.htm