General Schvantzkoph wrote:
This is a follow on to the thread I started earlier about planting
birdseed. Cheap birdseed is a mixture of desirable (like sunflower) and
undesirable (like thistle) seeds so perhaps it makes more sense to plant
specific seeds that produce bee friendly flowers.

Besides sunflowers, what other cheap seeds will produce flowering plants
that bees will find attractive. The goal would be to have flowers
throughout from spring and summer, and into the fall if possible, that
will attract and support the local bee population. If you were a bee
checking the Bee OpenTable for restaurants, what would you like to see on
the menu?

http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/

Bees need plants that flower though out the season. Dandelions are
typically the first to flower. Clover is is a good one also. Sun flowers
are nice, but they will destroy all other plants within six feet, plant sun
flowers in an area by themselves. Sunflowers in the future are hard to get
rid off, they are good at reseeding themselves year after year. I would go
with a few fruit trees too, not cheap tho. The veggie garden works well for
the mid summer. Bees like water also, put a few floating corks in the bird
bath for them to rest on. Google "bee friendly plants". Their are plants
that flower in the fall, off hand I cannot think of them, perhaps "black
eyed Susan"?


Avoid pesticides of all kinds, especially for the lawn! Let the dandelions
and clover grown in your lawn. When the grass is mowed, it will still look
green.

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Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)