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Talkback: 10 plants to help bees through winter into spring

darren636darren636 Posts: 666
in Talkback
I've never seen a bee on a primrose,

My garden has about 50 primula vulgaris and about the same number of pulmonaria,

All the bees ignore the primroses and have done since we moved here 3 years ago.

Posts

  • UnknownUnknown

    My primroses aren't particularly over populated either darren .... but winter heathers, sarcococca, mahonias, winter flowering honeysuckle and clematis, hellebores and aconites are all a godsend to them image Even in the windiest of weathers I've had them out nectaring. White Cheerfulness and the early daffs were well visited as are the muscari as soon as they come through. Oh - and please try and leave some dandelions to flower - these are so useful to them image

  • darren636darren636 Posts: 666
    Luckily , I've got abundance of pulmonaria and heather BUT that's about it until forget me nots open next week along with the bluebells .

    Alliums forming flower stalks nicely.

    Apple not close to opening.

    Crocus have been and gone.

    Snowdrops went weeks ago

    No shrubs open yet.

    Primroses shunned.



    Just ordered some helleborus Niger plugs and will get a list going for very early spring plants.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,087

    Our bees like snowdrops and crocuses and assorted narcissi.   We have several different kinds of pulmonaria and they seem to like that too.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511

    I've noticed bumbles on grape hyacinths in the past few days as well as the obvious blackthorn. 

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • LINDA FLINDA F Posts: 162

    I have two Forest flame shrubs and the bees just love them .

  • darren636darren636 Posts: 666
    Not a bee but a BEEFLY on the primroses this morning.

    Butterfly's seem to ignore them , i guess there must be moths at night that do the rounds .
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295

    Hi All,

    Good winter / early spring plants for honeybees are:-

    Crab apple - nectar and pollen

    Cornus Mas - nectar and pollen

    Forsythia - nectar and pollen

    Pulmonaria - pollen

    Helleborus niger - nectar and pollen when there's really not much else around!

    Winter aconite - great early source of nectar and pollen

    also blackthorn, hazel, willows and field maples.

    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
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