Beyond their use in cooking, herbs benefit pollinators greatly. The small blue flowers of rosemary and the delicate flowers of thyme offer high-nectar meals to bees. Allow these plants to flower, and you may be surprised by how many bee species appear. I did not record many bee species for years until I allowed my sage to flower. Suddenly, I had twelve new bee species in my kitchen garden. Drought-resistant herbs such as oregano do well in areas where other plants do not.
Rosemary
- Blooms early spring, feeding emerging bees
- Produces 0.5ml nectar per flower daily
- Attracts mason bees and honeybees
Thyme
- Groundcover with summer-long blooms
- Shelters ground-nesting miner bees
- Requires no pesticides due to natural oils
Soil preparation makes herbs reach their maximum benefits. Plants should be grown within soil with adequate drainage and soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0 is best. My clay-heavy planting area, for example, experienced a major increase in thyme blooms when I added 30% sand to the clay soil. Another consideration is over-watering the plant. Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, are more fragrant and have higher nectar flow when grown in drier conditions.
Pruning
- Trim rosemary after flowering to encourage bushiness
- Cut mint back by 1/3 to prevent leggy growth
- Avoid cutting woody herbs below leaf nodes
Companion Planting
- Pair basil with tomatoes to repel hornworms
- Grow chives near roses to deter aphids
- Interplant dill to attract predatory wasps
Observe pollinator visits by placing sticky notes. My sage patch recorded 17 bee landings per hour during peak bloom. Share excess herbs with neighbors; community gardens connect habitats. A simple pot of flowering thyme on a windowsill can also benefit urban populations of bees.
Read the full article: Top 10 Flowers for Bees: A Gardener's Essential Guide
