You may not realise but there are many different species of bees in this country, though some species are becoming alarmingly rare nowadays. Bees fall into 3 main general categories: bumble bees, honey bees and solitary bees. However, in order to encourage bees (of any type) into your garden then you will need to grow plants which have pollen rich flowers and a high nectar content. It’s important to have a range of plants so that you have these types of plants flowering throughout as much of the year as possible. Bee-friendly plants include clematis, hollyhocks, wallflowers, campanula and dahlias, amongst hundreds of others.
For best results, plant your bee attractive plants in groups or clumps in sunny positions. Avoid plants which have double or multi-petalled flowers and do not use pesticides on plants when they are in flower. You can also help by providing nest sites for bees. Some like to nest in small holes (less than a centimetre in diameter) and you can drill holes in fence posts or make holes in bamboo canes. You can also buy bee nesting boxes from garden centres or you could make your own using narrow cardboard tubes. Some bees also nest in holes in the ground, either on the soil or in short grass, so if you see this happening, then make sure you do not disturb the nests.
Pollination by bees and other insects is essential for the cropping of most fruits and vegetables so it is important that we do all we can to encourage bees into our gardens.