I have been ever so impressed with the bee attracting power of my Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ which I purchased earlier in the summer. There has been a near constant stream of honeybees and bumblebees to the pale yellow flowers which are being produced in abundance at the moment. I keep snipping off the older flowers as soon as their petals drop. My favourite buy of the year! I only thought to buy this perennial sunflower variety, because I had read so many reviews on how fond bees are of the flowers. Turned out to be absolutely spot on!
Basil African Blue - you wouldn’t believe how much bees love it!
I share cuttings with everyone who is interested, so I’m doing my part ☺️☺️
Should anybody close by be interested - please let me know 😊
Sounds a great plant. Don't suppose you are anywhere near South Yorkshire?
It is a great plant indeed. I’m in Surrey, but I could try and send a small plant to you. Obviously there is no guarantee it will make it through the journey, but we can try 😊
I'm assuming you overwinter it indoors @Big Blue Sky, or do you grow from seed each year? I doubt it would get to flowering stage here - maybe very late on, but then it wouldn't handle the overnight temps in August.
It is not frost hardy, so would need to stay indoors over winter. It doesn’t produce seeds, and can only be propagated by cuttings, and they can be grown inside until the weather warms up. The cuttings root easily, so even if the main plant dies, there are more young plants rooting on the windowsill 😊
Geranium Johnson's Blue and Ann Thomson but not the nearby Erodium Manescavii (they were initially attracted by the bright flower, but rapidly rejected it);
Echinops Ritro;
Clematis Paul Farges;
Verbena Bonariensis (but mainly butterflies when I looked);
Achillea (Cloth of Gold);
Common Hogweed.
Not many flowers left on the buddleia, lavender & eryngium so not much activity there today, although they have been very popular in the past.
Basil African Blue - you wouldn’t believe how much bees love it!
I share cuttings with everyone who is interested, so I’m doing my part ☺️☺️
Should anybody close by be interested - please let me know 😊
Sounds a great plant. Don't suppose you are anywhere near South Yorkshire?
It is a great plant indeed. I’m in Surrey, but I could try and send a small plant to you. Obviously there is no guarantee it will make it through the journey, but we can try 😊
Thats very kind of you, thanks. If you are prepared to go to the trouble of sending one then I would happily pay to cover any costs
Basil African Blue - you wouldn’t believe how much bees love it!
I share cuttings with everyone who is interested, so I’m doing my part ☺️☺️
Should anybody close by be interested - please let me know 😊
Sounds a great plant. Don't suppose you are anywhere near South Yorkshire?
It is a great plant indeed. I’m in Surrey, but I could try and send a small plant to you. Obviously there is no guarantee it will make it through the journey, but we can try 😊
Thats very kind of you, thanks. If you are prepared to go to the trouble of sending one then I would happily pay to cover any costs
Sure, if you drop me a private message with your address, I will send you one of my little plants 👍
Basil African Blue - you wouldn’t believe how much bees love it!
I share cuttings with everyone who is interested, so I’m doing my part ☺️☺️
Should anybody close by be interested - please let me know 😊
Sounds a great plant. Don't suppose you are anywhere near South Yorkshire?
It is a great plant indeed. I’m in Surrey, but I could try and send a small plant to you. Obviously there is no guarantee it will make it through the journey, but we can try 😊
Thats very kind of you, thanks. If you are prepared to go to the trouble of sending one then I would happily pay to cover any costs
Sure, if you drop me a private message with your address, I will send you one of my little plants 👍
Just sent you a private message, hopefully I did it correctly? Thanks Steve
Posts
It doesn’t produce seeds, and can only be propagated by cuttings, and they can be grown inside until the weather warms up. The cuttings root easily, so even if the main plant dies, there are more young plants rooting on the windowsill 😊
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks
Steve