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Non bee friendly garden

manvisobtimanvisobti Posts: 1
in Problem solving
Hi,

I am about to plant flowers for the very first time. I am terribly afraid of bees. Sorry if it sounds unfriendly, but can I select and flowers that don't attract bees? 
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,230
    Plain foliage plants - like ferns, or even heucheras  if you remove flower spikes,  but any plant that flowers, will attract bees or other insects.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 1,991
    https://www.toolversed.com/blog/flowers-dont-attract-bees/


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,230
    My bees clearly can't read then @Alan Clark2 in Liverpool   ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • B3B3 Posts: 24,450
    Neither can mine.😉
    Ive seen bees on most of those plants.
    Double flowered varieties of plants aren't much use to bees as they can't get at the pollen.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    Top of the list Foxgloves? Really? I plant mine near the veg plot to attract bees, they are smothered in them every year and hover flies, bee mimics. Plenty of UK bee species use them.
  • OmoriOmori Posts: 1,660
    My OH was terribly afraid of bees. After slowly gaining exposure to them, and not giving in to the urge to panic/flail/run, he can now appreciate them as the cute little furry bums that they are. 

    I think if you want to get into gardening, bees come along with it. There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re quite content to get on with their business. In three decades of gardening I’ve never been stung. 
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,531
    I was gardening once and felt something tickling my leg, inside my jeans.  I resisted the instinct to slap where it tickled, stood up carefully and gently shook the fabric:  out dropped a bumble bee.  I doubt it intended me any harm.
  • OmoriOmori Posts: 1,660

    I think you have to accept that some people are allergic to bee or wasp stings - if that's the case, they are naturally wary - some cases simply mean immense swelling of the affected part for several days, other cases can have a more serious outcome.
    This person said they were scared, not allergic. I wouldn’t suggest someone deathly allergic get used to bees. 
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    edited April 2020
    I've never got over arachnophobia. Real phobias are not just being scared of something, the key thing is it is somewhat irrational and totally out of proportion to the danger the creature represents. Just glad my phobia is strongly linked with confined spaces (being in a room with a spider) and only involves house spiders. I love all the garden varieties. Apart from those really big hairy ones that hide in plant pots.  :#
  • LynLyn Posts: 21,343
    Someone I know once told me she was allergic to bees, ‘I’ll die if I get stung’, how does she know that? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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