How to create a bee-friendly backyard or garden
Select plants that are compatible with your zone
The first rule to develop a bee-friendly backyard is to plant varieties of flowering plants that will thrive in your growing zone. However, in every backyard, front yard, garden, or homestead there are also microclimates, and it’s important to keep those in mind. Microclimates are very small areas that have a different climate from the surrounding areas.
Your property also has microclimates and you may, too, be surprised by what you can grow once you figure those out. Just look for areas that have more/less shade, slope, exposure, and wind. One clue to look for is any native vegetation that might be growing where it’s not “supposed” to. Are those areas drier? Wetter? Shady? Those answers can help you know what other plants to try, outside those specified for your zone.
Bees are attracted to certain colors
Just as you have favorite colors, bees do too. They cannot see colors in the red end of the color spectrum, so good color choices are yellow, white, purple, orange, pink, and blue. There are so many gorgeous blooms and colors to choose from and doing a bit of research online helps before you venture out to the nearest nursery.
A few flowers to consider for your own bee-friendly backyard are:
It’s best to plant flowers that grow in clumps, rather than single blossoms on long stems and then to plant them close together. Bees are more attracted to clumps of blossoms and having them close together makes it easier for them to do their pollinating job.
There are many other colorful plants, but as you can see, both flowering herbs and food-producing plants make bees quite happy and it’s a win-win if you’re trying to grow your own food.
Think year-round, if possible
Your backyard or garden can provide pollination opportunities for bees year-round since bees need pollen and nectar throughout the year. As you begin to narrow down the types of plants that do best in your growing zone, select ones with bee-attracting colors, also check to see when they will flower. Ideally, you’ll want to have plants that flower in the spring and summer, along with those who produce blossoms in the fall and winter. Daylilies and the Lile of the Nile are both perennials and will be ready to produce blossoms again next year.
Along with helpful insects like bees, butterflies, and ladybugs, there are also mosquitoes and other insects that we definitely do not like! However, the over-use of insecticides will also poison bees. Before reaching for an insecticide, do some research and try a natural remedy first.
Add a simple water-feature
During long, dry seasons, beekeepers have to make sure there is plenty of water in the form of a pond, fountain, pool, bird bath, or other water feature. Even bowls or jars of water are better than nothing for helping keep bees hydrated. Since bees can drown in water, add stones and pebbles to shallow dishes to prevent them from falling in water and being unable to get out.
