Gardening

We moved to the Ouachita Mountains of West Arkansas in 2006,
and started growing veggies and Keeping Honey Bees.

We were surprised that our bees couldn't care less about most of our Veggies,
especially the nightshades (Tomatoes, Peppers, Potatoes, etc.)

In the Spring, the Bees have plenty of forage with Fruit Trees, wild flowers, and wild Black Berries, so much so that it is difficult to attract them to particular areas.

In mid Summer, clover and Spirea gets their attention.

Mid to Late Summer: Basil, Sage, and some late ornamentals.
They seem particularly fond of Blooming (bolted) Basil,
and we are happy to let ours Go-to-Seed for the Bees.

The point is that the timing of the blooms is important,
and planning a Bee/Butterfly Garden should take that into account.

We are guilty of planting Butterfly Bushes.
I hadn't heard that they are invasive, but upon checking,
that appears to be the truth.
Its a shame because ours bloom well into late Summer when Bee Forage becomes difficult, and are a favorite of the Bees and Butterflies.