Don't wear perfume in the garden – unless you want to be pollinated by bees!

Spring is on its way and it's time to think about planting flowers for honeybees and other pollinators. Bees need flowers that offer pollen which is their source of protein and nectar to make honey for energy. Both are stored in their hive to sustain the colony throughout the year especially during months when there are no flowers in bloom.

Honeybees have 5 eyes which is how they detect light and movement and two antennae which gives them their sharp sense

of smell. Both lead them to brightly colored flowers with pleasing scents. They can see the color blue, yellow, orange, green and violet but not red.

There is a wide variety of bee friendly flowers that you can plant to feed bees. Here is Marina's list of flowers you can plant by season to attract bees to your garden...

SPRING:

pussy willow, witch hazel, black locust,

lilac, allium, crocus, maple, hellebore,

grape hyacinth, apple, heather, blue bell.

SUMMER:

lavender, linden,mberry and fruit trees

sunflowers, herbs, zinnia. borage, cosmos,

salvia, phlox, yarrow, nasturtium, hosta.

AUTUMN:

goldenrod, aster, coneflower, bee balm

milkweed, catmint, sedum, rose of sharon,

mints, oregano, lemon balm.