YOU may not notice them buzzing around you, but bees make a crucial part of your garden’s ecosystem. Without them, fruit and vegetable production would be compromised, and many flowering plants we love would cease to exist.
Bees do the brunt of the work in pollinating, which is why planting flowers that attract bees is so important. More bees mean a happier garden and a healthier world.
Bees are attracted to colourful, fragrant flowers. Bright colours and a wafting scent of perfumed petals grab their attention and tell them there is food nearby.
The rich scent and bright yellow flowers found on the native frangipani, currently in full bloom locally, produces creamy flowers with a strong fragrance that bees cannot resist.
Callistemons, popularly known as the Bottlebrush, throw off flowers in pinks, reds and purple. They provide food and shelter for bees, as well as native birds, animals, insects and skinks – they will attract plenty of wildlife to your backyard.
Daisies, eucalyptus trees, grevillea, pigface, and nasturtiums are alternative flowers that bees go crazy for. Any good nursery will be able to help you find the right plants for attracting bees that suit your garden and gardening needs.
