Question
I would love some suggestions for bee attracting plants that will be happy in clay soil and Ipswich climate. We have plenty in flower at the moment (mostly bottle brush and lillipilli) but would love some suggestions for other times of the year. We do have some citrus which flower periodically too.
Trevallan’s Answer
Clay soils can be a problem for many plants. I do always suggest your cultivate your soil as much as possible with compost, Searles Soil Activator and/or Plant of Health’s Liquid Soil Microbes. Always use an organic mulch like sugarcane or tea tree as the more it breaks down the better the soil becomes. Always use organic fertilises like Organic Link or Pelletised Five In One.
Switch to organic pesticides.
There are some plants that just won’t grow for us in the ground and that’s ok. Use groups of large pots in the garden. I love placing pots around in my garden, it gives the garden another dimension and it allows me to have things I may not be able to grow if it was growing in garden soil. Hanging baskets are another great way to add a new dimension to your garden. You don’t have to hang hanging baskets on your patio .... use large tree branches and hang them in your garden.
Also it’s a great idea to have shallow water dishes around the garden so the bees can rehydrate. Yes, you have to fill them regularly in the heat but the little things we do for wildlife goes a long way and they will repay you by pollinating your vegetables and fruit!
Some of the mentioned plants are seasonal and some are forever. Some will grow better in part sun and some can handle all day sun. Some are trees, some are small. All will grow in Ipswich.
So here are a list of some of my favourite bee attracting plants. When I say bee I mean all bees. Some plants will attract European bees and some will attract native bees. I don’t discriminate, I love them all and want all of them visiting my garden! This list is not exhaustive it’s just a list to get you started.
Bacopa
Camellia Sasanqua
Grevilleas
Lavenders
Fruit trees
Salvia
Daisies
Buddleja
roses
Penstemon
sunflower
marigold
Dandelion
Calendula
Pentas
African Blue Basil
Most herbs left to flower
Alyssum
Murraya paniculata
Jasmine
Aster
cosmos
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Borage
Native hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii)
Guava
Macadamia
Backhousia citriodora
Eucalyptus
Strawberries
Blueberries
Any Syzygium but my favourite is Cascade
Leptospermum
Callistemon
Westringia fruticosa
Waterhousea floribunda
Buckinghamia celsissima
And this list can go on and on.
I also have Eden Seeds bee flower seed mix, which is mixture of flowering plants. Cultivate soil, throw out seeds and see what comes up.
HAVE FUN
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” Albert Einstein