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Honey Bees and Herbs

Honey bees are Nature's herbalists, gathering nectar from a wide range of herbs, and in the processes pollinating them. Of course, honey bees gather nectar from and pollinate many more plants than just herbs. (An herb is a plant that does not have woody parts and dies back to the ground at the end of the growing season.) In North America the honey bee, although not native to it, is now the major pollinator of many crops. This was probably not always true, since other insects also pollinate, but has probably become that way because of the widespread use of pesticides.

On the otherhand, the spread of parasitic mites has made the honey bee virtually extinct in the wild. More beekeepers are needed to help sustain the honey bee population! This article focus though on attracting bees that have a hive "somewhere" to your garden.

How Do You Bring Bees to Your Garden?

"If there is any plant which would justify cultivation exclusively for bees, it is the borage (Borage officinalis)."

- L.L. Langstroth, Langstroth's Hive and the Honey Bee

Borage is a self-seeding annual, native to the Meditteranean. The plant has blue, star-shaped flowers and grows to about 3 feet in height. The flowers produce large qantities of nectar, which makes it an outstanding source of food for bees.

In addition to being a major attraction for bees, borage is also used in:

• Cooking - A culinary herb with a cucumber-like flavor, that blends well with many foods. According to an old herbal, use it in salads "to make the mind glad."
• Gardening - A companion plant for growing strawberries.
• Magical - An amulet plant; since ancient times, borage has been reputed to bring courage. Wear fresh flowers.

A very useful herb!

Another outstanding bee-attracting herb is Hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis. Hyssop, a member of the mint family, Labiatae, is a 2-3 ft. high perennial.

• Cooking - Used to flavor soups and salads, lamb and poulty dishes.
• Gardening - In addition to bees, Hyssop also attracts butterflies and humming birds. It is a repellent for ideer, cabbage looper, and imported cabbage worms.
• Magical - Used in protection and purification sachets.

If you're having problems with deer, try planting hyssop as mentioned above, or another member of the Mint family, thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Like borage (which is deer resistant), thyme is a major attraction for bees. Thyme is a perennial, native to the western Mediterranean. The plant has numerous liliac to pink tubular flowers, and grows around 8 inches in height. Thyme is also used in:

• Cooking - A major culinary herb, well-known in particular for its use in French cuisine.
• Gardening - A companion plant for growing potatoes and tomatoes.
• Magical - Burned as an incense to purge magical rooms.

Note: Deer are repelled by heavily sented herbs. You can try sage (Salvia officinalis), which is another outstanding bee plant with culinary value. Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), a good deer deterent, unfortunately is not useful for cooking. To find out more about herbs that repel deer, rabbits, snails, and insect garden pets, see Herbal Repellents for Animals, Snails, and Insects.

Something else you can do to build both your bee-attracting and culinary garden is to grow plants with edible blossoms. That gives you the best of both worlds! You may also be interested in herbs that have been used in traditional or alternative medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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