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    Bee-lieve your eyes!

    It’s time to get out into the garden to discover the incredible world of bees. Not only does yummy honey and handy beeswax come from bees, bees are also vital for growing lots of our favourite foods. In fact, we rely on bees to help us grow fruit and vegies such as pumpkins, apples and tomatoes.

    Pollination

    Plants need to be pollinated in order to grow, thrive and multiply. Fortunately, bees do all the hard work and fly from plant to plant, transferring pollen grains. Luckily for us, we can attract bees to our gardens by planting lots of bee-attracting seedlings – see our list below.

    The buzz on bees

    Discover fun facts about the incredible world of bees.

    Bees have five eyes.

    Commercially, bees can be used for pollination and production of honey, beeswax and royal jelly

    There are approximately 30,000 registered beekeepers in Australia

    65% of Australian horticultural and agricultural crops require honey bees in order to pollinate

    Honey bees require both nectar and pollen in their diet.

    Nectar is the runny, sweet liquid found in the hearts of flowers.

    Pollen is the name given to the small grains found on flower anthers.

    There are many different types of bees around the world. Some bees are only native to Australia and happen to be blue.

    We wouldn’t want to live without bees. Bees help us to grow fresh food, including some of our favourite fruits and vegetables.

    Bee attracting plants

    Attracting bees to your garden is as simple as planting these beautiful plants.

    Flowers Herbs Vegetables
    • Red Basil
    • Chives
    • Thyme
    • Oregano
    • Lemon Balm
    • Sage
    • Bunching Onion
    • Carrot 'All Seasons'
    • Cabbage Sugarloaf
    • Tomato Cherry
    • Lettuce Mixed Salad
    • Perpetual spinach
    • Silverbeet
    • Cornflower
    • Salvia
    • Phacelia
    • Lavender
    • Poppy
    • Aster
    • Zinnia
    • Swan River daisy
    NameCornflower
    TypeFlower
    When to plantAutumn to early winter.
    Watch forAphids. To remove aphids, spray with soapy water.
    Fun factIt’s also called bachelor’s buttons.

    Tips

    Your Woolworths Discovery Garden cornflowers need darkness to germinate, so cover the seed with 1cm of the coco pellet. Make sure the coco pellet is well drained and kept moist with regular watering. After repotting, in about 3 months, you’ll be able to enjoy beautiful blue cornflowers.

    Our Australian Honey Bee Industry Partnership

    This year, we’re proud to partner with the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, which works to ensure the long-term success of the Australian honey bee industry. Thanks to their hard work and educational resources, we can all learn more about the wonderful world of bees than ever before.

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