There is nothing like a good cup of tea with a few teaspoons of honey. Sweet, soothing, and warm. It’s the simple pleasures in life that give us joy but we have to remember who helps bring that joy: Honey Bees. A precious part of our ecosystem, bees make honey and pollinate flowers and other plants to provide food and oxygen. Unfortunately, the honey bee population has been dwindling throughout the years. Since 2009, National Honey Bee Day has helped raise awareness of honey bees and educate the public about bees. The day is also devoted to beekeepers and environmental enthusiasts who help protect the precious honey bee.

To honor National Honey Bee Day you can help out our bee friends by planting a garden of pollen-laden plants that will help attract them:

Flowers

Lavender is an excellent source of pollen for honey bees. As an added bonus, you can do a lot with lavender including making tea and baked goods! Sunflowers and bee balm are other flowers you can plant to help attract bees. Sunflowers are especially fun because not only do they provide delicious seeds for you to roast, but they also point themselves towards the sun when they bloom!

Trees

Maple trees, Willow, and Basswood are beneficial to honey bees. They’re probably not easy to grow by seed so you can pick up some pre-grown trees over at the gardening center or hardware store.

Herbs

Grow an herb garden for your kitchen and help the honey bees. Herbs like oregano, rosemary, and chives allow for bees to pollinate while keeping flavor on hand. If the herbs get too big, you can either dry them in a dehydrator for future use or give some to your neighbors.

-CD