Anything new?

[Shawn]

Did anyone plant anything new this year that attracted bees? Im still looking for some good plants that attracts or is good for bees. I have the bee plant list and other suggestions that are posted here but I was just wondering if anyone tried anything new that the bees liked. Thanks!

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Blue Vervain This is native and did fair to get the bees. The thing is though it gets to be 6 feet tall and doesn't look nice. There's nothing wrong with the foliage, it's just the flowers are so few. The plant looks 10 times better when viewed looking down on it. See here.
I'd say plant it in the back of a flower bed and hopefully next to a deck or patio that's higher.
I bought from Prairie Nursery and was very satisfied. The plants were in 3 inch pots and quickly sprouted to the 6 feet size.

[adgjoan]

I ordered 400 grape hyacinth bulbs to plant this fall.  A lady in our bee club said bee like them.  I always liked the way they looked mass planted. 

Joan

[podius]

I had green beans, peas, and strawberrys and when I'd go out to the garden I could almost feel the earth shaking from all the buzzing! There were even times that they wouldn't let me in the garden!

[doak]

I am going to plant some Buck wheat next week now that I am getting some rain.
Then I am going to plant some winter Austin peas and some clover for next spring.
All these also make a good cover crop for the winter. :)doak

[Lone]

Have you ever tried Australian natives like grevillea and callistemon (bottlebrush)?  There are lots of varieties that suit climates from Queensland to Tasmania (I'm not sure about the snow fields though - all I've seen there are pines and tobacco).  Anyway, my 1.5 year old plants reckon spring is coming in 9 days and are starting their displays.  The bees are thick on the flowers at certain times of the day.

Anyway, what I like about the callistemon is that I have difficulty killing them yet from neglect and lack of skill.  Also, different varieties flower at different times, all year round.

Lone

[fish_stix]

We have millions of bottlebrush trees in Florida and also had them in California when I lived there.