The upsurge in interest in bees made it hard to find equipment and bees in my first year; however growing recognition that even doing small things can help has led to more information and ideas presented in all sorts of ways.
The RHS has worked with Sarah Raven on a project called ‘Perfect for Pollinators
Allium with bee
‘ – there is a list of plants (though I would have liked to know whether each was good for nectar, pollen or both as well as coding as to whether it is a shrub, climber, tree or other plant). Garden labels will bear a distinct label to signify their use. There is even an iphone app so that you can scan the label and then look up details. I don’t have an iphone though I do lust for one and the funds to meet any contract costs -or even better a reasonably priced one that will work on my Virgin pay as you go account. This could be another reason to acquire one. I’ll see how much of the app is relevant on my ipod touch.
The alliums are a particularly successful plant in my garden – they look great in clumps and their flowering period seems to extend over a long time including the sparser period sometimes called the June gap. Another plant is borage and I have found that it seems to work well in hanging baskets and grow well from seed.
Just love alliums and there are so many different ones. Put a paper bag over the seed head to collect seeds for the next year.