Bees....Please.

Hello Everybody,
I'm new to the site today and have become hooked on gardening since growing a few chillies last year, However this year it as gone to my head and I have pots and tubs of Viola, Pansies and Fuchsia everywhere!
What I would really like is to attract bees into my growing area, so could anybody please advise me as to what type of plants I should be looking for, ideally types that I could grow in large tubs due to my garden being an on going project and not yet ready for planting out.
Many thanks, Jeff.

 

lavender is always good for bees

and salvias

buddleia you can grow in tubs

sedum spectabile is a fav for bees as well

and agapanthus go down well with bees in my garden too. I have 3 different ones all in large planters

 

to GC @jeff22

Bees will enjoy your pansies, violas and fuchsia.
Attracting bees and other wildlife to your garden isn't too difficult really and planting in pots is just as affective as in the ground. Ivy planted with honeysuckle goes well in a pot (and under planted with your pansies/violas) which you can enjoy year round knowing you are attracting wildlife.
The list is quite extensive so I'll leave room for other members to post their favourite bee attracting plants too

 

Hi @jeff22, to the forum. I like foxgloves, lavender, delphiniums & lupins, the bees seem to love all of those plants too. . I love bees too, they are such beautiful creatures

 

I grow lots of plants to encourage bees as my garden is a wildlife garden. Everything also grows in a container of some description. The best bee plants for me are agastache, salvia, hyssop, french lavender, hebes, borage, antirrhinums, erysimum bowles mauve, and chives. At the moment the cotoneaster is very popular.

Welcome to GC by the way!

 

Thank you all for your replies, I shall be off to the garden centre in the morning with my list.
Once again, Thank you.

 

You shouldn't just rely on just perennials. There are lots of shrubs that can help bees too, such as Hebe, Ceanothus and Escallonia.

Also a lot of trees help out bees, blossom such as apple and cherry are a great boost for bees in the spring.