Yes good.
Even better is to Google or do a bit of reading on native plants in your region. The common honey bee is a non-native species in the US. And while the honey bee isn’t doing any damage, there are a lot of native bee species whose populations are also being impacted. Look into what bumblebees, mason bees, and leafcutter bees like to eat. Planting native flowering species that native bees evolved to eat can give them food that will be attractive to them as well as honey bees, and they will do right by people who grow fruit and vegetables if you entice them to your garden.
Sedum, goldenrod, black-eyed susans, milkweed, aster, bee balm, coreopsis, coneflower and purple hyssop are all beautiful native species that can attract bees.
Don’t buy hybridized versions of plants. These look pretty, but the hybridization process tends to render them low in pollen and nectar, so they’re not nutritious for bees.
Remember to plant some early-blooming plants like crocus and snowdrops. Bees who wake early (like this year, I saw some bees out and about last week) will find it difficult to find food until plants start blooming.
And if you hate mowing, the good news is that a lot of the “weeds” that volunteer themselves in your yard are flowering plants that bees like: clover, dandelions, violets, daisies and more. If there are spots on your lawn that you hate mowing anyway, then don’t! Edge them so they look like they’re supposed to be there and let them grow up into wildflower patches. You’ll be surprised at how beautiful they are once you’ve let them develop. (Plus, clover is good for putting nitrogen back into your lawn—naturally re-fertilizing the soil so your grass ends up healthier!)
Also, make a bee bath! Bees need to drink and bathe too. A shallow dish like a jar lid with some stones to weight it down is a perfect bath for bees. Or if you have a bird bath, throw some stones in there so that bees can crawl around on them and get wet without being in danger of drowning.
Bees (and butterflies, who you’ll also be helping this way) desperately need our help! If you look around at those acres and acres of green suburban lawns with precious few flowers to be found, that’s a desert as far as a bee or butterfly is concerned. Even a small container garden can help.
And cut it out with the pesticides and herbicides!
