But here is the problem. I love roses but bees just aren't that crazy about roses. It's me who's crazy about hybrid teas and crazy about bees so it's a clash and conflict. The only time that the bees ever come by is when Mr. Lincoln is in bloom and only then will they occasionally wander off to visit the other roses, but it's Lincoln which has to lure them in.

One rose that is famous for attracting bees is Heidesommer. It is a very rare and difficult to get rose which is not available in the U.S. or Canada. A kind forumer from New York is going to try to root a cutting for me. This Heidesommer is not a hybrid tea, LOL! so indeed I am expanding my taste in roses for roses that bees love.

Maureen mentioned that rugosas have good disease resistance. I saw a beautiful photo of Agnes but I am not sure whether it is fragrant and whether it is deeply attractive for the bees. I have space for about 2 rugosas. What I am dreaming/hoping for is that those 2 yet-to-be-planted rugosas and the Heidesommer (cross my fingers for the cutting) will allow me to have this bumblebee hive.

What is crucial is a very heavy repeat bloomer (so that the bees are continually fed) with lots of fragrance and which does attract tons of bees-I'm not talking about a handful-I want a crowd of bees. Does any one have any personal experience with a rugosa that has these qualities? I am really depending on those of you who grow these rugosas. Often times you'll just find a lot of advertising hype. What counts I feel is people who really specialize in raising rugosas.

Here is the Agnes rugosa.

Available in early spring at a good garden center or mid summer at a home depot lowes garden depts

Prior to planting do bust up the pre potted peat moss mess they have em in. Water frequently untill it establishes, it looks like it will die continue to water untill it bounces back, then and step back and watch the long narrow stems plow up and out and re flower

Comes in a all white flower and as well pink with white white flower ( get the pink/white if you asking for my vote )

The stems will drop on the ground during periods of rain but the bees wont mind to much
by far the most effective plant for bees I have. It even out attracts a mexican mint by 10 to 1

Honey Bees should be on the endangered species list I only got a glimps of a few on the Gaura and zero on the mint

mexican mint is also effective but it wont be the plant for you or your roses it's a field flower I don't think you want it running it's muck in your rose bed unless you have the space for one or two It hasn't been proven to be winter hardy in zone 6 or 5 b and doesn't flower as long as Gaura

The only problem I have with Gaura is I don't have a pic to show it, but I can fix that later
not the right forum but:
If and only if you want or have a specail space that needs a touch of shade somewhere else there is always a frindge tree 25 - 30 feet high grows best at the side of a pond or lake needing the early 6 - 7 hours of direct morning sun a short flowering time happening promptly after a dogwood tree for 3-5 weeks. A very fragrent multiple small white hanging flowering display If you want it to berry you need a male and female it's only draw back is a short 20-25 year life span. At very least give one a sniff when you pick up that Gaura if you can

front view

top view

front view shows mexican mint in far back right
Also effective for bees and butterflies is scabosia blue I had one in this garden but an intence full day sun does not not serve the scabosia well perenial. Dianthis also does well comes in many colors and different heights it too is my idea of full sun sensitve it does best in a cooler dryer soil uncertain if it fits in with the watering of roses blooming twice once in mid spring and again in late summer very sweet fragrence youll like it more than the bees but is also effective

Garden Phlox and summer Phlox take last place when it comes to bee attracting butterflies yes again phlox is better grown in a smaller to med sized field

I have one last weapon for the bees it hasnt flowered yet but soon will Fall Daisy even though bes do slow down this time of year some will still be seen on it odly shaped to grow round fall daisy likes it dry does require seasonal leaf plucking as they turn yellowish brown and prunning to keep the shape as well Draw backs are if it gets to wet the oddly balanced stalks fall to the ground a 4 x 4 round is going to keep itin a round strong shape a very good grower after it's second year

bulbs won't do the trick for you if it's annuals you are looking for sorry I don't have a single one

Fruit tees will be effective in the order of Apples Cherry then Plum but the frindge trees are the most effective for me

Keep them roses looking beutiful please try avoid any form of climbing vines IE climatis honey suckle ect ....

What DOES attract tons of bees are two perennials that are fantastic companion plants for roses: Nepeta (catmint) and calamintha (calamint)

Here is the rose Petite Lisette with catmint to the right.

I would not recommend this rose as it was a blackspot disaster all summer long, which to me is unforgivable in a once-bloomer. Vintage Gardens claims they will offer over 1600 varieties this year, so Petite Lisette has been warned about how easily she can be replaced.

In my garden, other top perennials for bees are Pycnanthemum muticum (Short-toothed Mountain Mint) and Monarda (bee balm).

I hate to tell you but I don't think Agnes is supposed to be that healthy. Apparently she is prone to blackspot, as are some of the more heavily hybridized rugosas. My favorite rugosa is Roseraie de l'Hay.

Wes, thank you for suggesting Guara. I am enjoying those flowers and they have their particular charm! I usually like very upright tightly formed plants however, LOL! as you can tell--I'm so particular about hybrid teas and such because they are very tight and upright in configuration. Wes you are definitely spot on in that honeysuckle and roses are a very bad match together and that bulb plants aren't much good in attracting bees.

Wes don't plant Lincoln where Guara is! it will suffocate Lincoln unless you extend your borders. Lincoln needs a full 3' x 3' width. It is a GIANT! of a rose and needs all the unhampered room in order to grow properly and flourish. I also know a little bit about architecture because I have worked for architectural firms several times. Foundational blocks often run past what is visible cement-wise. That cement will interfere with your Lincoln's root systems. It will be a very unhappy plant. You actually have to move out your borders by a few feet to make sure you have enough clearing room away from the cement. If you do this then you will be fine and you can grow Lincoln there.

Mr Linclon will be set in the equivalent of a pillow top bed if it was a human.
A ready compost heap and the basic mixings are all set for next weekend to conduct a site pre prep, after a spring soil test of PH and NPK and a very ready predug water checked hole Mr Lincoln will be moved to his new hom it'll be dug in the same manner as the site prep over a two day period covering the rootball area with hay untill the second day to expose his roots they'll be trimed if needed and then replanted. I am going to work it slow for 6 weeks and step it up as it shows it's growth. A bit of honesty I don't have any bussiness pushing it at all ( yeah it's that bad )

Armed and ready as you suggested and I am looking foward to good results

Ill get a pic of how he sits today and when Mr Lincoln does his happy dance I'll post the befor and after pics

Even if he only gets two feet more in height and maybe a couple new canes I'll be very happy

Only two last problems ( nothing you suggest will help me here) One: I will have to find a new home for the bench folks. Two: one of two minis or both will also get shifted, the Mrs isn't going to be to happy about this but zero competition is zero competition

Be sure when you transplant your Lincoln to buffer transplant shock with a super dilute mix of sea tea. One tbs.-1 gallon mix. Transplanted roses need that extra moisture in the soil. It helps with transplant shock. Your soil preparations and soil test sounds totally AWESOME!

But I'd like to make sure that no one takes serenasyh too literally when she says that she wants to "raise a bumblebee hive." (I assume she means she'd like to make her yard so attractive to bumblebees that they will nest there.)

Sorry, fellow bumblebee lovers, but they can't be domesticated and raised in actual hives like honeybees. They're wild bees that nest in holes in the ground. So the best we can do is plant flowers that they like, and leave some wild areas where they can nest.

Judging by what I saw along the tracks, they spread mostly by roots, because there would be just a patch here and a patch there (though some of the patches were fairly large). I've read that they also self-seed, but I figure if they could spread very readily by seed, there would have been a lot more of those patches.

As for Gurney's, their ratings on Garden Watchdog is not all that good. You might want to check out a nursery that specializes in native prairie plants (see link below).