A bee-friendly garden full of greenery, purple flowers and bee hotels made from logs.

Gardening for bees

Get your bee saver kit
Man holding potted plants

Plants for bees and other pollinators

Whether you have a small patio, or a large garden, growing flowering plants is an effective way to help Britain's bees and other pollinating insects, such as hoverflies.

Pollinating insects need food, water and shelter. They love plants which are rich in nectar and pollen. Nectar contains sugar for energy, while pollen contains protein and oils – forming a balanced diet.

Find out more in our seasonal guide to bee-friendly plants.

Your guide to bee-friendly gardening
Man holding potted plants
Bee on orange flower

10 easy ways to help bees in your garden

What could be lovelier than a garden buzzing with insect life, colour and fragrance all year?

With bees in trouble, our gardens are vital fast-food takeaways for bees and other beneficial bugs. As well as serving up a varied menu of plants they provide the shelter and nesting places bees need.

What's more, bee-friendly gardening is more likely to be responsible gardening - growing the right plants, and avoiding chemicals in the garden

Read our 10 easy ways to help attract bees and other pollinators to your patch.

10 bee-friendly garden tips
Bee on orange flower
Long horned bee on chive flower

Grow 10 bee-friendly herbs

Herbs are easy to grow, and some are a valuable source of food for our bees and other pollinating insects. They also have the benefit of adding fantastic flavour to our meals.

Short of space? Try marjoram, thyme, chives , sage or creeping rosemary in a pot. If you have more space in a sunny border, try a rosemary shrub.

Angelica, with its nectar-rich flowers, will attract plenty of early bees and other pollinators, and unlike many other herbs, can thrive in partial shade. Fennel is rich in nectar and pollen, and will attract a variety of solitary bees, such as Mining bees and Yellow-faced bees, as well as Bumblebees and Honey bees.

Grow the 10 best herbs for bees
Long horned bee on chive flower
Bee hotel

Build a bee hotel

A great way to help solitary bees in your garden is by providing for their needs, with a bee hotel, food - from nectar and pollen rich plants - and a water supply.

Use our step-by-step guide to build a bee hotel - or bee house - for solitary bees.

LEARN GARDENING TIPS
Bee hotel

Do bees drink water? Yes, they need refreshment

Like humans, bees need water. Water is essential for honey bees to make food for their young, and keep their hive cool and humid. They collect water during the summer months.

Fill a bucket or tray with water – preferably rain water – and put a few stones in it that are large and stable enough to give bees a safe place to drink from. Floating old wine corks on the surface also gives bees something to land on. Got a pond? Try adding floating-leaved plants, wine corks or rocks to give bees a landing pad.

Water supply for bees underneath a homemade bee hotel
Picture of Bee Saver Kit 2021

Get your Bee Saver Kit

Donate today to get everything you need to help bees. The kit includes:

  1. Wildflower seeds – grow bee food so your neighbourhood bees don't go hungry.
  2. A garden planner – to help you create a bee-friendly garden all year round.
  3. A bee spotter guide – so you can identify your new garden visitors.
  4. Step by step guide - full of useful hints and tips for saving bees.
  5. Bee postcards - to send to your loved ones.
Get your Bee Saver Kit
Picture of Bee Saver Kit 2021
photo of cello case planted with flowers

Think you can't help bees if you don't have a garden? Think again.

Want to help bees but live in a concrete jungle? Not enough space? No garden? No problem.

We spoke to some of the people who are turning grey to green and helping bees and wildlife in our cities.

Find out how these 6 inspiring groups are making havens for hungry bees.

6 ways to help bees without a garden
photo of cello case planted with flowers
photo of child looking at bee landing on flower

Make a wildflower meadow for bees

Wildflowers such as cornflowers, cowslips, and the common poppy are all brilliant for bees and other wildlife. Pick up wildflower seed mixes at your local garden centre, or by ordering a Bee Saver Kit from us.

Here are a few simple steps to get wildflowers blooming in your garden. The ideal time to do this is September or October because this mimics the natural cycle when flowers typically drop their seeds. You can also sow wildflower seeds in spring.

  1. Remove any vegetation or turf. Alternatively, use a strimmer or lawnmower to cut the grass as short as possible, and then rake the ground to reveal patches of bare soil.
  2. Wildflowers thrive in unfertile soil. Remove the topsoil, or dig the soil over to a depth of at least 15 cm to reveal the less fertile soil below.
  3. Scatter the seeds lightly. Use 3 quarters of a teaspoon of seeds per square metre. You can mix the seeds with sand first, to aid even sowing.
  4. After sowing, lightly rake the surface and firm down with the end of a rake or your feet. Water the soil if you're sowing during a dry period.
More wildflower meadow tips
photo of child looking at bee landing on flower
Bee friendly in your garden - tea towel

Bee-friendly tea towel

This stunning organic cotton tea towel features some popular wildflowers and garden plants that bees will love. The design by Stuart Gardiner shows plants by season – so you can help hungry bees through the year.

Bee friendly in your garden - tea towel