A huge number of herbs are excellent bee plants if you let them flower, and are also superb container plants. Almost any combination of the herbs featured in the Herb Garden plan would provide a first-rate display.
Culinary herbs
A container planted up with some culinary herbs would be ideal to stand outside the kitchen door, provided it isn’t in too much shade. The combinations of culinary herbs are endless, but here are a couple
| • | How about a ‘Scarborough Fair’ pot? Petroselinum crispum, Salvia officinalis, Rosmarinus officinalis and Thymus vulgaris – in other words, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme! All are useful in no end of recipes. |
| • | Or perhaps try a container of winter herbs which you could allow to flower in the summer and then dead-head so that the foliage is available during the winter. This would work with herbs such as Thymus vulgaris (thyme), Hyssopus officinalis (hyssop), Satureja montana (winter savory), and the hardy oregano, Origanum vulgare. |
| • | Last summer I planted a ‘Pimms and Pasta’ pot which was a great hit with the bees – and it made a brilliant talking point during a barbecue with friends. I planted up Borago officinalis (borage) and Mentha spicata var. crispa ‘Moroccan’ (Moroccan mint) for the Pimms, with Ocimum basilicum (basil) and Origanum majorana (sweet marjoram) to go in tomato sauce for pasta. |
Alternatively, and for something a little different, you could plant up a hanging basket with herbs. Plant Mentha spicata (mint), Allium schoenoprasum (chives), and Salvia officinalis Purpurascens Group (purple sage) in the top of the basket, with Thymus pulegioides (broad-leaved thyme) and Fragaria vesca (alpine strawberry) around the sides. After a time the mint would start to take over, but you could then transfer it to a pot or basket of its own.
Fragrant herbs
Some herbs are lovely grown solely for their fragrance.
| • | Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ (lavender) with Thymus citriodorus ‘Silver Queen’ (lemon thyme), Nepeta hybrida ‘Pink Candy’ (catmint) and Reseda odorata (sweet mignonette) would make an attractive display. |
| • | Or you could have a lemon-themed combination of Aloysia triphylla (lemon verbena), Melissa officinalis ‘Aurea’ (variegated lemon balm), Thymus citriodorus ‘Golden Lemon’ (golden lemon thyme) and Monarda citriodora (lemon bergamot). |
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| Mentha spicata | Rosmarinus officinalis |
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A selection of Herbs for Containers |
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These are just a few suggestions. Try out some different groupings to suit your own space and style – as long as you choose bee-friendly plants, of course!