Bees are among the most diligent garden creatures for pollinating flowers - and in view of their current extinction of species, which is so worrying, they are particularly worthy of protection. So there are many reasons to turn an area into a bee pasture.
Bees especially like liver balm
Why you should attract bees to the garden
Most gardeners already know that the proverbial hard-working bee is a valuable beneficial creature. Nevertheless, especially in times when it is particularly difficult due to monocultures, increased use of insecticides and the spread of the Varroa mite in the wild, their achievements for nature and garden culture cannot be sufficiently emphasized.
First and foremost, they are effective pollinators. If you want to enjoy a garden full of flowers, it is a good idea to attract bees. In addition, the intensive pollination by the bees ensures effective seed and fruit formation of plants, which serve as an important source of food for other beneficial insects. If you dare, you can even keep your own small hive of bees in the garden and get delicious honey. Ultimately, bees are also valuable for the sensual garden experience: Their humming spreads a wonderfully idyllic, summery natural garden atmosphere when roaming the beds and sitting together on the terrace.
What you get from the bees:
- Flower pollination - so more joy in flowering
- Seed and fruit propagation for humans and other beneficial organisms
- Possibly honey yield
- Summer hum concerts
Bee friendly ground cover
If you want to fill an area in the garden with a groundcover, it is very clever to attract bees at the same time by choosing the variety. If you want to plant several areas in a bee-friendly way, it is advisable to create as wide a range of flowers as possible over the season.
The hard-working pollinators fly in the following area-filling ways:
- Yarrow: very popular with bees, long flowering period
- Garden Anemones: Pretty, offering blooms from early spring through fall, depending on the variety
- Sweet nettle: refreshing scent, distinctive purple candle blossoms, some varieties are even edible
- Liver Balsam: very decorative, light violet flowers and deep green foliage, flowers from June to August
- Ivy: Very effective bee magnet
- Variegated goose cress: Beautiful, filigree foliage, flowers from April to July, for rock gardens
- Thrift: Flowers from May to August, not very ground-covering, more for small low cushions in perennial beds
- Creeping Günsel: good covering ground cover, flowers from May to June
Even bee-friendly wildflower mixtures can usually be sown low and broadly and are therefore suitable as bee ground cover - in addition, an abundance of flowers is usually guaranteed throughout the summer.