Plants for pollinators

My collection of plants for pollinators is growing apace and the bumblebees in particular seem well pleased, pollinating my peas, broad beans, raspberries and strawberries. Flowering this month have been phacelia, ox-eye daisies, perennial wallfower, sweet rocket, nepeta, wild roses, hardy geranium, corn poppies, knautia macedonia, cupid's dart, crimson clover, pink and bladder campions and love-in-a-mist. And new introductions this year have been vipers bugloss - a biennial which I sowed last year - and giant scabious, which I snaffled from someone's garden. There's been May blossom in the hedgerow and the one they're really mad for - cotoneaster.

Vipers bugloss (Echium vulgare)...

...soon being investigated.

Giant scabious (Cephaloria gigantea)...

...also arousing some interest...

...but the annual phacelia is still the most popular.

Pretty as a picture

Harvesting broad beans, cabbage, peas, carrots, lettuce and wild rocket from the plot. I've taken up the garlic too for drying. Lovely time of year despite the rain. I especially like seeing the dog roses and elderflowers in the hedgerows in June.

The orchard was looking a bit battered in the wind and rain the other day...

...and I appreciate the beauty of the long grasses more and more, it's a mystery me why people would want to buy the non-native ornamental ones from nurseries, though that's another story.

Lots of bees buzzing around when the sun comes out and many other beasties besides. I've no idea what this is on the phacelia but he seems to be enjoying himself:

And the hoverflies are pretty stunning:

All in all pretty as a picture, if I do say so myself.

Phacelia

This has to be one of the best plants for attracting bees. I originally sowed it as a green manure - and still do - but I like to let some of it flower. It self seeds readily and germinates even in dry soil.

Phacelia and californian poppies

These have self-seeded from last year and besides looking beautiful the bees are loving them too.

Phacelia

I sowed this for green manure where my manky garlic was. I've already dug half of it in and this patch is about ready for that now too.

Phacelia

The bumble bees have been loving this:

Phacelia and flax

If you've been paying attention you'll remember that I planted the phacelia as part of a mix but it was the only thing to germinate. I'd normally treat it as a green manure and dig it in but since it's started to flower and is covered in bees I haven't the heart to do that now.

I started the flax in pots, planted it out a few weeks ago and it's flowering nicely now; I read somewhere that the edible seeds are meant to be some kind of superfood so if you see me wearing a cape you'll know why.