Bees' Winter Reserves

Autumn-flowering plants are particularly important...
It enables bees to build up fat and protein to survive winter. Here are some excellent bee plants to help them build up these vital reserves:

• Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop, a wonder bee plant; one acre of this is said to support 100 hives, flowering July-September),
• Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender flowers July-September, also its’ essential oil contributes towards reducing Varroa destructor mites),
• Solidago vigaurea (Golden rod, a top bee plant abundant in nectar and blue pollen).
• Echium vulgare (Viper's Bugloss - native wildflower biennial)
• Viola tricolor (Wild pansy, native wildflower annual)
• Calluna vulgaris (Heather, native perennial)
• Borago officinalis (Borage, fantastic top bee plant annual - create large swathes in your garden!)
• Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold, wonderful large flowering annual)
• Eupatorium cannabinum (Hemp Agrimony, native marshland perennial)

Here are some excellent shrubs which will flower during winter months. It is good to bear in mind that all bees could be flying and looking for forage on potentially any day during winter if the temperature rises to 10 degrees C or above:

• Viburnum tinus (10ftx10ft compact, evergreen shrub. Fragrant white flowers from late winter to spring)
• Choisya ternata (8ftx8ft compact evergreen shrub. Orange blossom scented flowers in late spring, and again in late summer and autumn, and if mild in winter too)
• Mahonia japonica (6ftx10ft evergreen shrub with spiny leaves. Fragrant yellow flowers from late autumn to early spring)