Peppermint for Beneficials
The peppermint is blooming in my garden right now and the bees, butterflies and other pollinators are loving it. I’m so happy that it’s blooming at this time of the year when nectar and pollen are quite scarce. I love watching the peppermint patch as it’s abuzz with all types, sizes, and colors of pollinators.
I must divide these plants and add more clumps around the gardens. I know they can be invasive, but in my woodland gardens invasive things barely hold one against the saplings and wild flowers. I find myself trying to incorporate more and more plants that bloom and provide nectar or pollen throughout the season just to provide sources of food for these lovely little insects.
Do you have any plants blooming for the pollinators? Do you plant with them in mind?
I’ve let my basil go to seed and it is covered with bees — carpenter, honey, bumble, etc. :-) I love going out to the garden in the morning and finding the bees that have “camped out” in the flowers. I guess they stay out too late to make it home so they hunker down in a flower and sleep there. I think it’s so cute.
to Rhonda's comment
You know I never thought of the mints being a plant for the pollinators……I have many varieties and they love it but it is accidental on my part……..I have many butterfly bushes and bee balms and sunflowers that they are hitting pretty hard at the moment…….
to Amy's comment
I planted peppermint all around the edges of our bean-cucurbit garden(to repel rodents) and now the mint is growing strong and I have noticed more bees now than all year also on lavender and scarlet runner bean flowers. Is the little yellow butterfly good? We have a ton of both white and pale yellow.?
to angela's comment
I say all pollinators are good, somehow it’s beneficial for something even if it’s just a source of food for birds.
to Susy's comment
Besides several varieties of lavender, catmint, and basil that’s blooming, I also have a silver lace vine that is massive. It’s right outside my home office window and I’ve been watching the butterflies and some huge flying insect come back and forth day after day. Whatever he is, he’s having a feast for sure!
I’m adding bees next spring in the back and I want to plant lots of lavender near by for them to back wonderful honey!
to Amy @ Homestead Revival's comment
Borage. Dh doesn’t like the stickers, so I don’t encourage too many. Intentional.
Basil – currently in the flowering stage. Unintentional.
Comfrey must be blooming, too. Trying to use as fertilizer, so the blooming is incidental.
to KimP's comment
My mint went to bloom and it was COVERED with pollinators. Every day I had a different butterfly, bee, beetle, or fly to teach my son about.
to Corrie's comment
Yes – lavender. I also let the chives bloom since the butterflies and bees were going crazy for it.
I’ve never had luck growing any mint but since it’s so invasive I’m fine with that.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
I like letting everything go to flower now – my bees are busy visiting basil flowers, mint flowers and goldenrod. I feel like it’s squeezing the last bit of summer out of the year. Lovely photographs.
to Susan's comment
Wonderful pics! I feel like it’s squeezing the last bit of summer out of the year. ;)
to Lizzie Samon's comment