Dallas Bee Garden in 75208 Makes it NINE!

Jenni Stolarski and Val Haskell turned their front yard into a beautiful bee garden. Jenni included a list of plants that grow in her garden.

I have in groups of 3:

 
- sweet fennel (they like this, but have to compete with the wasps and caterpillars.)
- salvia Indigo Spires (bees ADORE this plant)
- salvia gregii
- fall aster
- butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), bees like it too!
- purple coneflower
- red okra
- pink dianthus (I didn't see any bees on this plant, but it bloomed early in the spring)
- & one each salvia leucantha and lantana (they're quite large!)

Also had
- zinnias
- California poppies
- sweet peas 
- watermelon (they liked these flowers)
- strawberries

Have you ever heard the expression "Busy as a Bee?" Well, bees like to be efficient. That's one reason why patches of flowers are more attractive to them than a single plant placed here and there around a yard.  Jenni and Val made their garden a shopping mall for bees by grouping many of their plants in 3's (or more). 

Even though the area in this photo is mulched, Jenni and Val left plenty of bare gound for ground-nesting solitary bees. They don't use chemicals on their garden. This garden provides ample evidence that you don't need to use chemicals to have a beautiful garden . . .  'cus it's a humdinger of a beautiful garden (for bees and people).

Beautiful front yard gardens also offer an opportunity to share ideas with your neighbors.

Jenni says,

The bees are great to watch. What we really love is that this garden is in the front of our home, so it also serves as an easy conversation piece with anyone  walking by. We rope people in all the time to check out the bees and plants.

 

Indigo Spires. Bees love this. 

Purple Cone flower with a non-native, but still pretty cool, honey bee enjoying a visit. 

Zinnias in the garden. Sometimes these double type Zinnias are hard for bees to get into to find nectar and pollen. You can also try the single petaled variety. They are beautiful.

Thanks to Jenni and Val.  Because of your hard work, bees have a great place to pick up pollen and nectar year-round.  

Jenni promises to "display my TBW number prominently for bees and neighbors to see."  Thanks, Jenni.  That ought to generate some interesting questions about bees in your garden! I'd like to welcome you and Val to the community of  Official Bee Watchers. Howdy!