Companion Flowers

     I've been reading a bunch this winter about how bees work. Did you know that pollinating bees communicate to each other when they return to the hive. By both sound and vibrtions these bees communicate to each other where the stashes of good pollen are. Other that humans, bees appear to be the only once capable of relaying directions to one another.
      So with that, I been looking into what flowers are attractants to the pollinating bees. My buddy Jeff in NH works as an Estate Gardner for someone, and his job is to plant and care for flowers all summer in case the peoiple who own the property decide to leave Manhattan for a weekend getaway. So I've been brainstorming with him and also got some hand-me-down seeds to try. 

 Spring Flowers

 

 

Nasturtium

I got those flower bags that you fill with dirt and hand for these. Besides being totally edible this plant wards off the Squash Bug. Those lil suckers burow into the vine and drink all the nutrients intended for the vine. So I am hanging about 3 flower bags around my Squash trellis to fill with these nasturtium. Hopefully with great sucess.

 

 

Borage - "Star Flower" - repels Tomato Hornworms

 

Yellow Tansy - "Golden Buttons"

 

Nigella-Damascena "Love in a Mist"

 

Purple Tansy - "Scorpionweed"

 

and the beautiful Scabiosa - "Black Night"