These diligent workers of the natural world are the reason plants produce their goods—fruit, vegetables and nuts. Bees pollinate, cross-pollinate and fly thousands and thousands of miles to do this. According to a PBS special, Tales from the Hive, “One out of every three bites of food an average American eats is directly attributed to honey bee pollination.” One out of three. (One more time: One out of three.)

Why not create spots in your garden that are especially scrumptious to the honeybee? A brilliant website—The Melissa Garden—lists all of the plants bees go berserk over that also support their health and nutrition needs. Below is a quick list of plants that do well in Virginia to get you started. Not surprisingly, some of the perennials are also native to our area. Bees know what is good for them and good for us! What clever little creatures. They have so much to teach us ….

Herbs—basils (all varieties), lavender, borage, rosemary, catmint and oregano.

Annuals—pink cosmos, sunflowers, bachelor buttons.

Perennials—Aster lateriflorus ‘Prince’ and ‘Lady in Black,’ Coreopsis grandiflora, Dahlias (photo above), Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed), Gaillardia grandiflora (blanket flower), Pelargonium (scented geraniums), Perovskia atricipifolia (Russian sage), Sedum spectabile (sedum), Solidago californica (goldenrod).