Flower power for bees

Want to help save the bees? Then start growing the right kind of flowers and plants!

Biologists at the University of Sussex have discovered that there's a 100-fold difference between the alluring powers of some plants over others for the most common types of bee in Britain.

The scientists found that the plants honey bees and bumblebees love best are Mexican giant hyssop (particularly attractive to bumblebees), borage (ideal for honey bees) and lilac sage (equally attractive to both).

And wild solitary bees tended to make a beeline (sorry!) for wild marjoram and Greek origanum.

What not to grow

However, geraniums - extremely popular among gardeners - were found to be hardly ever visited by the insects. And, more often than not, popular types of dahlia are spurned by our buzzy little friends too.

So start planting your hyssops, borage and lilacs in time for spring and summer now, and help save our rapidly declining bee population!

Thanks to Pestival friend in Brazil, Zagg, for pointing this out to us.  Get the whole story here.