Hi Tom

Plant borage!! Bees are addicted to it and ignore many many citrus blossoms nearby. Borage does self-seed pretty freely so be forewarned. I've been collecting the volunteers and moving them to new spaces.

I bought my starter plant at WalMart but LMK if you want seeds. Way easy to grow from seed.

Denise

Thanks everyone.

Mark - you're so funny. I'd love to see you and Lou get together ;-)

Cam - I'm not going to keep hives, I just want to support the bees. Silvia sent me some borage seeds, I'll start them. Does it bloom year around? I've also thought about bee balm and I've got some echinacea seeds so I'll start them too.

Brenda - how big does cassia alata get? I've got to keep things fairly small since my back yard is limited.

Carol - I do have porterweed and it is a bee and butterfly magnet but I need other things that bloom perennially...my perennial morning glory is coming back and the bumblebees love it. We always thought of spanish needles as a weed and something to get rid of but you are right about the bees loving it so I may re-think that one.

Star - no room in the back for a crepe myrtle :-(

Tina - I have quite a few pentas but unfortunately I bought them from the big box and not being labeled I guess they are the dwarf variety because the bees don't mess with them much. Where in Pinellas can I be sure of getting the tall variety? I want to rip out all these dwarf ones.

Denise - Borage it is, as I was asking previously, when does it bloom and for how long?

Tom

I don't know if borage blooms year round, only had it for 3 months now. We'll see how it does in the heat of coming summer. (Wouldn't Silvia know?)

One plant that is everblooming and bees love also is starry rosinweed, a native, 4-5" yellow flower, needs low/little water, perennial that regenerates/propagates itself slowly.

Another bee magnet for me is dune sunflower, we use as groundcover along the road. Bees and butterflies busy on it all day long. It will also grow in a mannerly clump you can shape with a lawn mower. Low water needs.
Very attractive.

One thing I do for the bees, cuz I'm sentimental that way, is I let one of the broccoli plants go to flower. Not a perennial solution, but it just amazes me how much the bees love that one little plant each year. They also get really excited when it gets hot and the arugula flowers. I've finally gotten to the point where arugula self-seeds in my veggie bed, with the help of my eager bees.
And yeah, they love Spanish needle. I hate it and fight it, but I have one bed that I had to hose down before I could mulch it last time, just to clear the bees.

Hi Everybody

Tom - I have been planting borage for a long time in all sorts of places, it does well everywhere but not all year round. It likes the weather that we are having now and comes by itself around January, can take some frost if little bigger but won't like the heat once it sets in, it does not look good then and I usually pull it out.

This is one I have that seeded itself in my garden now...

Another herb to consider and that is good for the bees is African blue basil, it gets very big but you can put it in a pot. I had one growing in the greenhouse and had tons of bees there. I am growing now a Vietnamese mint that I got a cutting from the restaurant, I let it flower and get a lot of bees.

Silvia

Yep, I love borage but it's definitely an annual.

Tom - I forgot to tell you that there is a lot of commercial bee keeping around where Louie has his garden and you can see them from the trail, there is only citrus planted there...Next time that I see him, I will ask some questions...I remember that there were a lot of bees in his artichokes last year.

Silvia

If you plant it....they will come. I have tons of bees because it's slim pickins in the rest of my neighborhood right now. They like most flowers, but yes they really like borage. They also seem to like the purple angelonia.

Tom, I don't know if you are planning on going to the USF sale this spring but you can get the tall red Pentas there. Mine flower year round! I just give them the occasional 'haircut' so they stay reasonably compact and producing masses of flowers!

Borage for me does make it through the summer, but it stops blooming and looks ragged in the worst summer heat. I probably should put it somewhere it gets afternoon shade in the heat of summer. (Or rip it out and replant it as a fall crop.)

I have to second basil as a bee attractant. Mine is covered in bees when I let it bloom. I know I've heard some of the S FL folks saying that sunflowers are hard to grow there, but they do love those. But if you can't grow sunflowers, just about anything from the aster family seems to be a bee-favorite.

And thanks N&V for mentioning Spanish Needle. I never knew what the name of that weed was until today. After you mentioned it I did a web search on the name and found some pictures. Ah, yes - that's the plant keeps trying to take over my backyard. (Well, that and - ouch! - wild blackberries.) The bees do love it, though. Their devotion is why it is able to make endless thousands of seeds that my kids bring in on their clothes. :-0 Not surprisingly, it's an Asteraceae.

Thanks everyone, I'm taking it all it :-)

Denise - Starry Rosinweed looks like a winner. I've got a spot in the back about 15' x 15' that's full sun now after taking out the oak tree and I'm formulating a plan for a mix of flowers there.

Suszie - I grow ALL my broccoli for the bees ;-)

Silvia - is it too late to start borage from seed now? What about basil, could I start seed for it now? I do have the basil seeds you sent me.... The bees went crazy over veronica too so I'm not surprised about the artichokes.

WB - thanks, if it will get ratty quickly or is going to die off I'll wait until next year.

Amber - I still have angelonia seeds, I forgot about them ;-)

Sis - I'm going to Silvia's swap 4/14, do you think they would have any of the tall red pentas left on Sunday?

L in Fl - I grew sunflowers one year but they were too tall and lanky in such a small garden as mine. I do have one aster don't there that has profuse lavender flowers with yellow centers that the bees go crazy over but it only blooms for 2-3 weeks :-( I'll try the basil it can be started from seed now.

Tom

Mexican Heather!

Cuphea hyssopifolia.

The first time I ever saw this plant was in an HD garden center and the 4'x 8' merchandising of $1.99 plants was SEETHING with bees!

Pretty miniature shrub with glossy green leaves and purple flowers virtually year-round (freezes here knock them back a bit, but they bounce back valiantly) and almost always busy with bees. Right now the bees are sharing with teeny-tiny blue butterflies.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:827656}}

Tom - You can start the borage and basil seeds directly in the place where you want them, it is still time for them. Look for a shadier spot for the borage.
And the good news are that today I saw artichokes coming up in Louie's garden ( I gave him first to plant them) I was worried that they did't have enough chill time but I guess they did.:)

Silvia

Sis3 and Anna,

How tall are tall pentas? I know that you usually have to get them at nurseries and I bought some red ones at my nursery this weekend, but I'm wondering if what I bought are tall pentas, or are there pentas that get even taller? These are about two feet tall now - but I don't know if they are already fully grown, or if they will get even taller? I do know that the big box stores carry the dwarf variety and they get 12-18 inches when mature. So are there three varieties of heights? I think I saw some in Anna's pictures that looked like they were close to maybe *four* feet tall. I wonder if mine will get that high. How tall do the "tall pentas" get?

Thanks!
Carol in Jacksonville

Tom - I got some Borage transplants at Willow Tree - they have them for $.99 in the cheap herb section (the little cell packs), but the plants were already quite large and had buds. The picture shows one plant about 2 weeks after I put it in to give you an idea for size. I thought it was a pretty good deal. The bees definitely love it.

Hi Carol, I just measured my red Pentas. They are 56" tall and these are the ones that I keep trimming to prevent them becoming 'leggy'! I don't think they would get much taller if I let them grow though.
I should also mention that the Pentas in exposed parts of my garden are cut down by cold weather. If Tom grows them in St Pete this should not be a problem but in Jacksonville you may have to wait for them to return after the winter.

Sis, thanks for taking the time to measure them! So yours are around 4 1/2 feet tall. Good to know. That's what Anna's looked like, too. Soooo... I'm hoping that's what I bought.

The tag from the pot says "Ruby Red Pentas" (Pentas lanceolata 'Ruby Red'), Height 2'-3'". Also, I noticed that these have a solid red flower and do not have white in the center like the dwarf varieties. I think it was Gardengrl who pointed that out.

Here are some links to threads with photos of Anna's ridiculously tall pentas:

Penta & Lantana

Sharing my garden

And this one has photos of Hester's giant pentas:
A few pics

Can you just feel my envy?!? :)

Carol in Jacksonville

Ooops - I forgot to mention, all of my pentas did freeze back to the ground with the (only two!) nights we went below freezing. Problem was, it was wayyyyyy below freezing on those nights (27.6 on Jan 4 and 28.8 on Feb 13). They are all coming back - around 36 of them - with the exception of two. I have watered them with epsom salt (1 TBSP per gallon) and that really seemed to get them going. Not like the sun and warm weather had anything to do with it. :)

Carol in Jax

Talking abt. bees.... I was in Lowes here in St Pete on 22 ave. today, and bees were swarming in the water in their bird-baths, just covered all around the rims.... quite a sight.... guess they need a water-source also....sally

Carol, I have the large red pentas; they are the favorite flower in my yard for butterflies. They also attract hummingbirds and bees. They are the one flower that I cannot do without.

I have never seen them sold in the box stores. I get mine now from cuttings, but I had to go to a nursery (Biosphere) to get the first ones.

Tom, I have loads of butterflies and I never see fras. I do see caterpillars, of course, but they seem pretty to me. When I go out to my garden I see little flying things of gold, red, orange, yellow, black and blue--and many combinations. For me, butterflies are part of natures great beauty.

Thanks everyone, keep em coming....

I've seen Mexican Heather in the big boxes but don't recall seeing it last too long out in the environment. Am I wrong?

Dang, I was just at Willow Tree looking for Umbrella Sedge :-( You all know me, it may not be necessary but I try everything initially as single seeds in 3 oz bathroom cups, five borage seeds started this past weekend, we'll see.

I HAVE to have some of those TALL RED pentascolor>, anybody with them coming to Silvia's or Lori's swaps? Or, umbrella sedge?

Silvia - shoot some pictures of Loui's artichokes if you can, I'd love to see them....

Tom

Turn's out you didn't miss anything anyway. I was at Willow Tree today too and they didn't have any of the borage right now.

tom123 any tips on rooting the tall red Pentas? If I can I will try to take some cuttings for tomncath. I am hoping to make it to one of the swaps this spring but if not I'm sure I can get the rooted cuttings to him!

Well, it would take years, but the bees went CRAZY for my agave bloom. I teased that the nectar was like tequila for bees!

I accidentally let a broccoli go to flower, and man did they like that. I might do it again, just cuz it was so fun to watch!

I recently bought a walter's viburnum and they were on that about as soon as I brought it out of the car, long before I got it in the ground!

Sis, here's a link to Hester's and Anna's methods of rooting pentas. I hope it works for you! And for Tom!

Carol in Jax

Here is a link that might be useful: Penta Cuttings

Tom, maybe they'll ship you a few plants, or we can bring you some:

http://www.floridanativeplants.com/wildflowers.html

http://www.floridanativeplants.com/index.html

The darn Cape Honeysuckle blooms all year and the bees love it. I have to use a machete to keep it in check, but I always leave some flowers blooming.

Carol B. Sarasota

Thank you Carol! I am going to give both methods a try. One way or another we'll get Tom his tall reds!

I saw some pretty tall red pentas at our local Walmart on Monday. You never know what you'll run across in their garden section. A few weeks ago they had desert rose plants marked down to $3. I didn't buy any because as a snowbird I try to limit my potted plants.
Marcia

Pentas are one of the easiest plant to grow from a cutting that I know. Try to get two nodes when you cut and then make sure the soil stays damp and spray the cuttings every other day or so and they will root.

I will begin to root some more tomorrow or the next day and I will try to make it to Sylvia's.

Hi Tom 123

Looking forward to see you at the party! last fall the time flew, I still got one of your basil plants.:)

Silvia

Thanks everyone, hopefully Tom123 will be a Silvia's party. If not then hopefully I'll score at Lori's party. One way or the other I'll be getting some tall pentas from somewhere :-)

Carol - I just placed an order for seeds from them, never thought about plants. And, I have the perennial blooming morning glory so no more room for another vining plant.

Tom

Nice thread, Tom. I find bees are not at all picky. They seem to love anything that's blooming in my yard. I have all types of bees everywhere. If I had to name a favorite plant today, I would say citrus. My blooming citrus is chock full of honeybees doing their work. However, the butterfly garden is full too, as is anything that's blooming. They should be easy to attract.

I was surprised to see past pictures of my pentas! Thanks, Carol. I don't know how to save threads like that. As for tallness of pentas, I find that tall pentas have their own personalities. I just stepped outside to see how tall the tallest pink ones are. I am about 5 feet and the tallest point was that, but most of the mounded part was about 4 feet or so. I have a hot pink that I've just cut back to try to propagate, but it gets about four feet max. A newer pink which is lighter is about 3 feet or so. For me, the red is the least successful as far as how long it lasts and how good it looks, and it is about 3 1/2 feet tall. I only have a couple of reds for that reason. The midsize starburst gets 2 1/2- 4 feet after rains.

What I love about these tall style pentas, is the same reason why they have almost stopped selling them- they have a graceful, sprawling habit and tend to expand during the warm season. I guess the market wants things that tend to stay compact and upright in a neat, tidy mound shape. My yard is not like that. Lots of things sprawl, and that's how I like it.

The pinks are really hard to find anymore. However, today I was at Crowley's east of Sarasota and she had the light pink (really has a tad of lavender in them almost), which is real pretty and has done well for me in the past. I had to leave with 4 more! She also has the red, Tom and she says she gets the tall pentas in every week because they sell so fast. I tell you, I cannot resist these plants. The only thing they lack is fragrance. The ones in the first picture above have been in the same spot at least 4, but maybe 5 years and they still look good.

Just now, when I was out 'measuring' the plants, they were full of many types of bees- honeybees, all kinds of tiny bees and a big fat bluish bee the size of a bumblebee. All on one plant. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them too.

I am not good at propagating them because I can never keep them moist until they root. I get just a few to take every year, but some types are easier than others, and if you can keep them moist and get two nodes in the ground, it should work. Hester propagates them in water, I think.

Anyway, had to check in and let you all know that Crowley's has the lighter pink right now and they are so pretty when established. At least I think so.

Anna

Hi Anna,

I don't know how to save threads like that.

Look in the upper right of the screen for any post - CLIPPINGS! Clip the post to your home page and you have access to it as long as GW is still going.

She also has the red, Tom and she says she gets the tall pentas in every week because they sell so fast. I tell you, I cannot resist these plants.

Thanks, I sure want some tall pinks now too. Did you get them from Crowley's too? Any way I can bribe you and Hester to start some and come up to Lori's swap? Can I make you two watering wands? I bore them out so they can be used with a Hozon and a bucket for more consistent and gentle fertilizing during watering ;-)

Tom

Hi Tom,

I would be happy to get you some pink pentas from Crowley's if you'd like, and red ones as well, but you'll have to come down here to get them! While you're here, you can get cuttings of other shades to try to propagate them. I'm afraid the only way I have luck sometimes is to stick at least two nodes in the ground after a good rain. I am never successful in pots because I always let them dry out or they rot. Let me know if you can come down and I'll call Cathy Crowley to make sure she has some before I go out. My yard is not as good as I'd like it to be, but it never is. However, I'd love to meet you and have a visit if you're able. Let me know.

Anna

Hi Anna,

I sent Crowley's and email and they have both red and pink in stock, but you probably knew that ;-) I'd love to come down there and see you and Hester, Tropiflora's chin-dig would be a great time to combine both but right now I have another commitment that I'm not certain I can change...if not I have a week off in April.

Tom

Hey, Tom,

Let me know what you decide. I will wait for now since I've been known to kill anything staying in a pot for too long. I will email you to arrange!

Anna

In my gardening experience, the things that attract the most bees are: Bottle Brush Trees, (big time) Sunflowers, Crepe Myrtle, Coral Vine.

Bees are attracted to Beer, Tom. Sit outside with a frosty one.

Anna,

Watch out for those big bluish-type bee looking insects. They bore holes into the wood areas on the underside of my roof. They are a pain in the ass. :)

I don't think they are bee's at all.

Thanks Anna, per my email to you things are on hold for now....

Rita - my garden is too small for either. I grew sunflowers a few years back and they took over, remember my plot is only 6.5' x 50' :-(

Bees are attracted to Beer, Tom. Sit outside with a frosty one.

NO WAY! I like my beer on the verge of icing over, no warm beer over here....

Camm - I love the blue bummers, I've never had a problem with them here....

Like everyone else, I accidentally let my broccoli go this spring and the bees loved the flowers. I felt bad having to eventually cut most of them back but my onions needed the sun. I thought the bees were going to attack me when I was cutting them but they decided to behave.

I've found that the 2 best things for bees for me are salvia (those giant black and yellow ones love them) and Thai basil. Both seem to bloom all year but die heinously when the winter freeze comes. I've tried multiple varieties of salvia and the bees seem to like them equally, plus the blooms are striking. Thai basil blooms aren't nearly as spectacular, but the leaves taste like anise, so how can you go wrong with it?

Oh wait. I also got a plant from Lukas Nursery whose flower looks like a white butterfly bush and smells like amaretto. No joke. You can smell it from like 30 feet away. It's awesome. I's called sweet almond verbena. Apparently it's hardy down to zone 8a. All I know is that it mocks the coldest nights in Lake Mary and seems to be perpetually in bloom.

alohafromfl wrote: .... the coldest nights in Lake Mary ...

Waving madly! Hello neighbor!

~dianne

who also calls Lake Mary home

Aloha,

I've got the red salvias all over the garden, they are self seeding everywhere and the bees seem to like it as much as the porter weed, I'll check out the Thai basil and I LOVE the looks of the sweet almond verbena but can see it will get too big for the veggie garden area unless I want to cut it back frequently, I may have a spot on the side though where the oak tree came out that may work along with the larger pentas. Thanks for the ideas.

Keep em coming folks, I want to work on this project all summer.

Tom

I have two sweet almond verbenas. I think they grow kind of like crepe myrtles. One thinks its an oversized bush with dozens of branches coming from the ground and would definitely interfere with your veggie bed plans. The leaves are rather course too. The other however has delusions of grandeur and thinks it's a tree. It's a good 12 feet tall now with a 3" trunk and I could easily trim it into a tree if I felt like it. You might get lucky and be able to train it into a "tree" to reduce its footprint. But I don't know how high bees like to fly.

Gardengimp,

Waves back! Hey neighbor. Nice blog (and yard). Makes me look like an amateur.

John

Definitely the red pentas - I look for ones labeled Ruby Glo or Ruby Red. Also the Blue Bedder Salvia is a hit with the bees.

This was on the BBC recently. Couldn't find the accompanying study however

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17073830 (Bee Friendly Garden)

Tom, did you get those red pentas cuttings? Inquiring minds want to know! :)

Carol

Uh, which ones? So far I picked up two potted red plants at Silvia's party and two potted pink plants from the USF plant sale, all supposed to be the 4-6' varieties.

Tom

I was talking about the ones that folks were going to bring to you at Sylvia's party. I'm glad you got them!

Carol in Jacksonville

Anna and everyone,

Glad to find this thread, cuz I DON'T want bees, as my kids come screeching when they see them (yes, I have city slickers and I need to train that out of them).

I also have it in my head that color has a lot to do with it; is that right? Blooms of reds, oranges are particularly bee- attracting?

Here is what I am planting, and tell me what are bee-yummy so I know what to put where:

Allamanda (yellow)
Mandevilla (pink,white,red)
Confederate jasmine (I read that bees are into this...a lot?)
Gardenia (regular and dwarf)
Society garlic
Plumbago (dwarf and regular)
Tailing Lantana
Roses (to be decided)

Thanks,
Gina