Topic: Wild flowers and bees

[Borlotti]

Have loads of this growing wild at the allotment, so planted some in the back garden.  The bees do seem to love it.  Is it called Verbena, all you clever people on here.  They also love my oregano when it flowers.  My allotment may not be perfect (far from it) but at least the bees love it.  Its funny but when I try to take a photo of bees on plants they seem to fly off.

[Redalder]

If you have any clover growing in your grass/lawn don't mow it until the flowers are gone. It only means a few untidy weeks and the bees love (and need) clover.

[johhnyco15]

heres a pic i took a couple of weeks ago bees were loving my lupins

[johhnyco15]

and another

[PondDragon]

Unfortunately, lupins are apparently toxic to bees. See e.g. here: Bumblebees unknowingly poisoning their broods

[johhnyco15]

Unfortunately, lupins are apparently toxic to bees. See e.g. here: Bumblebees unknowingly poisoning their broods

wow such a shame every year may lupins are full of bees i would have thought by now they would have wiped themselves out yet they seem to thrive strange one that i wonder where all the new bees come from 

[lavenderlux]

I think the flower you have shown in Linaria;  the bees on our field love it, we have it in purple but also a pale pink.  I have let some Phacelia, grown as a 'green manure crop' flower and the bees also love this.  Butterflies do too but we haven't had many of them so far this year as its been too wet and cold. 

[Silverleaf]

Yes I agree it looks like Linaria purpurea, purple toadflax. I have some growing wild too and I'm always happy to see it because of how much the bees love it.

There's also a lot of bee activity on the raspberries and wild brambles, valerian, and the common vetch that grows wild in the orchard. And of course the chive flowers!

For some reason I keep seeing huge bumble bees trying to feed on my pea flowers. They can't possibly be getting anything from them (they aren't chewing into them or anything) and there's no smell to attract them, so you'd think they'd figure out pea flowers aren't any good!

[Paulines7]

What an interesting and worrying article about lupins and bumblebees.  I hope the University of Greenwich continue their research into this very important subject.  Thanks for the link PondDragon. 

[johhnyco15]

bees are loving the cut flower bed

[johhnyco15]

white tip bumble bee trying to hide his rump in my blackberry

[johhnyco15]

there was plenty of bee activity on the plot around 6 this morning

[johhnyco15]

6 oclock this morning this butterfly was having a rest thought id share it with you all

[johhnyco15]

beauty and the beast moment

[johhnyco15]

this morning this little fella was having a rest on my pear