Minnesota Will Pay Residents to Grow Bee-Friendly Lawns
I recently added a load of "bee-friendly" high nectar plants to my garden. Until recently we thought it had been unsuccessful, and wrote it off as a failed experiment. Fast forward a couple of weeks and we suddenly couldn't walk a few meters without spotting at least 7 or 8 bees of various different species (both hive and solitary) buzzing around the place. It's been wonderful, and I've recommended all my friends who are into gardening to try it out. We've also had some new insects and bird species move in, along with a family of hedgehogs!<p>If anyone else would like to outfit their garden with some more bee friendly plants, we've had great luck with the following:-<p><pre><code>  -Himalayan balsam
  -Yellow water iris
  -Gladioli
  -Common comfrey (Makes great fertilizer, and attracts some unique species)
  -Blackberry
  -Hedge bindweed
  -Honeysuckle (Smells amazing!)
  -Sweet pea
  -Foxglove
  -Rhododendron
  -Lavender
  -Bluebells (Good food source for early spring)
  -Clovers (Bees really have really taken a liking to these)
  -Greater knapweed (Super hardy)
  -Hellebore (Late flowerer, so great to keep them running over winter!)
  -Viper's bugloss
  -Wood anemone
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Most of these are common meadow plants that take little to no effort other than seeding them. Throw them down, cover with grass trimmings, mulch or compost and you're ready to go. This particular list is ideal for a mild, wet climate like the UK. Feel free to modify it depending on your wants and needs!