Flowers for Bees

I wanted to note which flowers, including weed / wildflowers, the bees and butterflies are visiting in my garden. I've started this page mid-June 2017 so have lots of photos and varieties to add. A year later, I am still adding to it. I'm noting flowers even if I don't have a pic but aim to capture views of the bees on each of the flowers.

I have so many photos of flowers and bees, it's difficult to choose just one of each! At the moment the flowers are in alphabetical order but thinking of putting them in date order of when they flower with a view to ensure we have flowers for bees throughout the year.

Agapanthus, July

bee on agapanthus

Artichoke, July

bees on artichoke

Borage, mid-June

bee on borage

September

bee borage

Buddleja

My front garden right next to the pavement is at risk of passing pedestrians damaging a plant (they destroyed a Trachelospermum jasminoides) so now I have a tough buddleja which the bees love.

bee on buddleja

Creeping Bellflower (Campanula), June

campanula with bee

Ceanothus, June

bee on ceanothus

Centaurea montana June

I saw a bee on one yesterday (26-6-2018) but by the time I'd gotten my camera it was gone.

Cerinthe

Comfrey, June

comfrey with bee

Cornflower July

Deadnettle, just a self-seeded weed but the bees love them.

bee on deadnettle

Delphinium June

visible pollen baskets on the bee(s) on the delphinium

delphinium bee

bee delphinium

Echium Vulgare/Viper's Bugloss and Echium Blue Bedder, June

I had a little difficulty getting close-up photos but there is a bee just entering one of the Blue Bedder flowers in the centre below.

bee on echium blue bedder

sadly I couldn't get this in focus but there is a bee in one of the flowers, centre right below

bee on echium blue bedder

Foxglove, May-June

Greater Celandine June

bee on greater celandine

Greater Knapweed July

greater knapweed bee

Green Alkanet

I see bees on the green alkanet from as soon as they flower but I did not note dates. I finally got a photo of one beginning of June.

green alkanet with bee

bee on green alkanet

bee on green alkanet

Globe Thistle, August

bees on globe thistle

Hollyhocks

hollyhock with bee

Iris Foetidissima May/June

The bees go right inside the flowers.

bee on iris foetidissima

iris foetidissima bee

Knautia Macedonia, June

knautia macedonia with bee

lavender, June

bee on lavender

I have some huge (for my garden) clumps of lesser knapweed

bee on lesser knapweed

Lupin

bee on lupin pollen basket

bee on lupin pollen basket

Monkshood June

the bees go right inside the flower

bee on monkshood

bee on monkshood

Muscari (grape hyacinth), April

bee on muscari

Nasturtium, bee going right inside

bee on nasturtium

Nigella

nigella with bee

Nepeta

bee on nepeta

Passionflower, June

bee on passionflower

Pelargonium June

saw one on this this week but by the time I got my camera it was gone

Corn / Field / Red PoppiesĀ  June

bee on red poppy

Black Swan poppy (Papaver somniferum) June

these are just blooming today and immediately the bees are loving them, hope to get a better photo

black swan poppy

Privet June

bee on privet flower

Ragwort June

I saw this near me in Northwest London.

bee ragwort

I saw this red admiral butterfly on ragwort in a churchyard in West Sussex on holiday

red admiral butterfly on ragwort

Snapdragon

snapdragon with bee

Scabious, August

bee on scabious

Snowberry July

snowberry with bee

bee on snowberry

Sunflower, August

bee on sunflower

Teasel July

bee on teasel

teasel with bee

Tomato June

I snapped as quick as I could but by the time I did the bee had lifted off from the flowers. Is that the hint of an orange pollen basket I see on their left side?

tomato flowers with bee

Verbena bonariensis July

Veronica June

I saw a bee on a veronica yesterday (27-6-2018) but didn't have my camera. I'll keep an eye out.

bee veronica

Wild Basil July