Bee Friendly Garden – How to Create and Where to Buy plants

We recently took part in a landscaping project to help attract bees to a building in Inglewood, a bee friendly garden. To do this, we designed hexagon-shaped planters, resembling honeycombs, and filled them with plants that produce plenty of pollen and nectar. These plants were carefully chosen to support Calgary’s native bee population, which includes 199 different species.

Calgary is an official Bee City and a designated Bird-Friendly City! The city is committed to creating habitats for wildlife by incorporating native plants into parks and green spaces.

Bee populations are shrinking due to climate change, disease, pesticide use, and habitat loss. But you can help! Planting a bee friendly garden helps create healthy and resilient ecosystems for pollinators in Calgary.

Our hexagonal planters were filled with bee friendly flowering perennials that provide nectar from spring through fall. We focused on native plants and heirloom varieties to ensure a steady supply of food for the bees.

If you want to create a bee friendly garden with the best plants that attract bees, we’re here to help. We selected plants with single flower tops because they are easier for bees to land on and tend to produce more nectar than double-bloom varieties. Some of the plants we included are:

• Chives
• Campanula (Bellflower)
• Crocus

• Yarrow
• Blanketflower (Gaillardia)
• Lavender
• Thyme
• Liatris
• Shasta Daisy
• Salvia

• Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)
• Bee Balm
• Garden Phlox
• Russian Sage
• Sedums

Bees have great vision and are most attracted to blue, purple, violet, yellow, and white. To make it easier for them, we grouped plants by color in separate 35-inch honeycomb-shaped planters, creating bold, inviting patches of flowers.

By planting bee friendly gardens, you’re helping protect pollinators and create a healthier environment for all! 🐝🌼