Planting for my bees

[madasafish]

Buddleja

Planted about 10 plants - half to replace those killed by last winter's frosts..
Got some surplus plants..
Anyone who lives near Stoke welcome to pm me and collect..
Colour mainly light blue and pink.

Bring your own pots I am afraid.. or some wooden trays, or sacks or anything to put them in.

Planted phacelia, borage and growing black locust trees from seed..

LOTS of opium poppies: bees go wild for the pollen...

 

[blackbrood]

Just checked out website, really great. Will help with some research (not bee related) I am doing at the moment. Thanks!

any time

 

[justme]

Hi justme -
Thanks for the link - I think it might be www.flowerfarm.co.uk rather than www.theflowerfarm.co.uk?

I was interested to hear about crocuses. I was going to plant some until someone suggested they need to be 'lifted' each year - and thought sod that...

Is that not the case? If not hopefully there'll be time to send off for some.

Thanks for the correction steve, i should've checked:.) Also as just mentioned they dont need lifting every year but watch out for squiggles (red or grey things with pointy ears n long bushy tails:.))

 

[Skyhook]

buddliea globosa is a great one - yellow flowers as bees can feed easier off it than other types.
any standard sedum is great ask a friend for some as they grow like weeds, i MAY even have a few small postable spurs somewhere. If not contact your local gardencentre and ask what sort of price they will do 9cm pots for, they buy them in like this for planting into 2ltr pots they sell on, you should be able to get a price of about 1.50/2 a pot

Sorry to be an anorak, but garden centres don't grow anything. What you wan't is a retail nursery, usually small family-run types are the most flexible.

 

[Skyhook]

Hooper's number 1 seems to be willow- no nectar, but masses of pollen very early.

 

[justme]

I didnt mention willow, I didnt need to plant any, its everywhere, but yes good choice.

I bought a IBRA book on plants for bees and its says that crocus tommasinious and chrysanthus varieties produce nectar as well as pollen. Tommasinious is a Jan/Feb flowering one as is Chrysanthus princ claus. Sadly the latter was not available when I collected mine from flowerfarm. Other suppliers may do other varieties of chrysanthus types. Hope this helps. Di:.)

 

[newportbuzz]

i have been planting willow with the mind to pollard it in 3 years for wood for the fire. does two jobs early pollen and late firewood. cant lose. also a bit of a wind break

 

[trapperman]

This is good news i didn`t realize willow was good, i have about an acre of willow bed i planted for coppicing for hurdle making some on a 1 year rotation some on 2 year for the uprights.

I know its abit soon but i cant wait for spring.

 

[susbees]

I ordered 400 mixed crocus last night for £20 should get me started.

I also just planted 100 cuttings off a cotoneaster from my front garden.

Hope you didn't stick them in a field. Most are notifiable weeds now.

 

[susbees]

Rhamnus frangula bush is interesting. When I give to it nutrition, it blooms 4 months up till to frost. It is very good nectar plant.

Planted some of these back in Norfolk in a new wild hedge some 500 yards long. The next year out of nowhere seemingly came Brimstone butterflies. This is one of only two food plants for their larvae. Beautiful.

 

[milkermel]

Totally agree that garden centres dont grow anything thats why I said about a tray of 9cm plants - Centres down here get them for about 90p -£1 for potting on but most will order and sell a tray if you ask them as even if they onlly make a few quid, its easy money.

 

[trapperman]

Hope you didn't stick them in a field. Most are notifiable weeds now.

Sorry but i dont understand, are you saying that crocus and cotoneaster which are sold in every garden centre country wide as garden plants are notifible weeds?

A weed is something which is not wanted surely, if i plant bulbs or shrubs on my own property which i own not rent then that is because i want them and they are not weeds to me.

I just dont see what your getting at.