Bee friendly plug plant mixes

little_busy_bee

hi all,

i have a small border, 1m x 3m. which i want to use for bee friendly plants, i have done my research and identified the plants that would provide the longest coverage of nectar for bees from Spring to Autumn. i would prefer plugs rather than trying to grow plants from seeds. my problem is that it is expensive to buy individual plug plant of species, and because i have limited space i do not really want multiple plugs of each species.

i had been hoping to find some places where i could a mix of bee attracting flower plugs, one plug of each species, but i am really struggling - does any one have any feedback on any they have tried.

tenzing

www.naturescape.co.uk is a possibility, although I've never bought from them

torbrex

I know you said you would rather not have seeds but I buy a box of 'throw & grow' seeds from Poundland every year to fill up the empty spaces in my borders and they work a treat and I get loads of insects visiting the flowers.
No special work required, just dig over and rake flat the border and throw a handfull of seeds in, no need for perfect spacing and the result is a full border

ladylouise62

Maybe you could start by getting a plant of the early and late providers and then use a 'throw and grow' seed mix as suggested above to fill the gap until you can find all you want. You could try and fill the gaps by asking at work, or neighbours or on Freecycle for the plants you want. For instance, I had a couple of great bee-friendly bushes that self seeded and I gave away.

SailorSam

That's a copy of my latest email from the Bumblrbee Conservation Trust, see if there is any information in the links there.

While most bumblebee queens will be happily hibernating at this time of year some Buff-tailed bumblebees can be seen flying around and foraging for food. This is especially the case in southern parts of England and Wales.
It is really important that these bumblebees be able to find flowers to feed upon. Our Outreach Officer, Anthony has listed some winter flowering plants in his latest blog. He also gives a simple recipe to feed to any weary looking bees that have been caught in the snow.
Alternatively, you can visit our Bee kind tool and filter the flowers for January or February. We hope this will provide some inspiration and encourage you to add some winter colour, pollen and nectar to your garden this weekend.
Anthony's blog also provides a link to a survey where you can record any Buff-tailed bumblebee sightings. If you are lucky enough to capture the bumblebee on camera then please also upload your photo to our BeeWatch pages.

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