Gardening is an excellent hobby that benefits you and the environment. While you may use it to relieve stress, adding the right plants to your garden is the ultimate way to help local pollinators. Birds, bees, butterflies, and more rely on nectar-rich plants to do their jobs, but those plants aren’t always easy to come by. Knowing the best annuals to plant to attract bees is the first step in building a bee garden on your property.
Zinnias
Zinnias are absolutely beautiful, and they provide bright, luscious blooms all season long. If you love flowers of all different hues, you’ll enjoy having zinnias in your garden. Typically, these plants don’t grow taller than 12 inches, making them the perfect option for the front of your garden. Zinnias will definitely stand out from other plants, and their vibrant colors make them appealing to bees and other pollinators.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are iconic and timeless. They’ve been a popular choice for many years, and they probably won’t become less common any time soon. With that said, you should consider adding them to your garden. Because they grow to be 6 feet tall or more, sunflowers are an excellent choice for the back of your garden. With tall stalks, large flowers, and bright yellow colors, sunflowers are highly visible and nearly irresistible to bees, butterflies, beetles, and other insects.
Petunias
Petunias are great choices for hanging flower baskets, but you can also plant them in window boxes or in clusters in your bee garden. The trumpet-shaped blossoms are beautiful adornments for your porch, windows, or garden, and they come in various colors. This plant doesn’t grow very tall, but it may spread out and take up more surface area. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are all quite fond of petunias.
Salvia
Salvia is a low-maintenance, beautiful plant that’s perfect for your bee garden. In fact, salvia blooms for an extended period, making it appealing for many months out of the year. The flowers come in red, blue, white, salmon, and purple, which means they’re suitable for wherever you want to plant them. Bees, butterflies, and birds love salvia, and they won’t be able to stay away from your yard if you plant them.
Calendula
Calendula is also known as pot marigold, and it’s a bee magnet. Although these plants don’t grow very tall, they still work wonders when it comes to attracting bees. The sweet aroma and yellow or orange coloring make these flowers irresistible to pollinators foraging for nectar.
While incorporating the best annuals to plant to attract bees is an excellent way to support the bee population, becoming a beekeeper is another way to help bees directly. If you’re looking for queen honeybees for sale, visit The B Farm online. Beekeeping is one of the most beneficial hobbies you can take up.