Plants and Planting Plans for a Bee Garden by Maureen Little

Plants and Planting Plans for a Bee Garden by Maureen Little

Author:Maureen Little [Little, Maureen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Plants, Planting Plans, Bees, Bee Garden
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2012-03-07T18:30:00+00:00


Plan for a Large Cottage Garden Border (numbers refer to key)

Achillea ‘Terracotta’ and Lavandula angustifolia

‘Hidcote’ (1, 8)

Malus domestica trained as an espalier (M)

Geranium sanguineum ‘Elke’ (16)

Cottage Garden Island Bed

This cottage garden plan is for an ‘island’ bed, measuring some 5 metres by 5.5 metres. It is more formal in its layout than the larger plan, and could be adapted to include vegetables if desired.

Focus

At the heart of the plot is an apple, Malus ‘Reverend W. Wilks’, trained as a goblet. This variety is ideal for such manipulation. Being self-fertile, it will produce a good crop in the absence of another tree for pollination, although there will be a more uniform crop if there is an additional one close by.

Framework

The main framework in this garden is provided by the low outline hedge of Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’. This has a compact, very dense form, with small leaves, and is ideal as an edging plant.

Flowers

This is really a garden of flowers, with lots of ‘old-fashioned’ plants like Lavandula, Aster, Sedum and Geranium, which between them provide colour for us and food for bees throughout the season.

Fillers

I have suggested planting thyme between the stepping stones leading to the apple tree. The thyme will soften the edges of the stones, and if you step on its leaves they will release their oil and you will be greeted by a spicy aroma.

Crocus and Allium schoenoprasum (chives) are planted either side of the stones, while Allium, Tulipa, annual Papaver (poppy) and Phacelia fill in the gaps in the main planting. If you allow the latter two to self-seed they will form a tapestry of unifying colour during the following years. A little judicious thinning may be called for each spring, however, as they can be prolific self-seeders and will take over the plot if you allow them to.

Plant families

Once again, the Primary families feature strongly. In this plan Other families outnumber the Secondary families, but all the plants are good for bees, so this doesn’t matter.



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