IJsselstein — The wish for bee- and butterfly-friendly gardens does not decrease in 2020. Luckily, there are many beautiful new varieties that enrichen the assortment for this purpose again this season. Sturdy, versatile, long-lasting and beautiful – we introduce bee-friendly shrubs and perennials for sun and half-shade. All varieties are available via Plantipp, who represents the breeders legally throughout Europe.
The Sun WorshippersLet’s start by having a look at the structural plants in the garden, the shrubs. Our first recommendation is the new bush honeysuckle Diervilla rivularis Honeybee (‘Diwibru01’PBR). It did not get its name without reason: it is a magnet for bees and butterflies. And not only insects love it. Strikingly light-yellow leaves adorn this shrub and draw everybody’s attention. Honeybee flowers richly in summer in a golden-yellow. The shrub grows compact and bushy up to 80 cm high and 100 cm wide. It is not prone to diseases, does not need much care, and is winter hardy up to -35 ºC. Also, it is not picky about the quality of the soil and likes sun as well as half shade. Diervilla Honeybee ads a beautiful touch of colour to borders, mass plantings or as a solitary on terrace or balcony. Breeder is Boomkwekerij William de Bruijn (Netherlands).
Almost indispensable in every bee garden is a butterfly bush. An absolutely exceptional blossom colour has Buddleja davidii Sugar Plum (‘Lonplum’PBR). It is a crossbreed of Buddleja Royal Red and Buddleja Summer Beauty. Sugar Plum merges the best characteristics of both parents: it flowers from summer to autumn in a bright purplish-red. It grows compact (150x100cm) and therefore is suitable to a multitude of garden situations: for hedges, planters, mixed borders and flower beds as well as mass plantings. Sugar Plum grows best on permeable, fertile ground in full sun. The plant is resistant against illnesses and winter hardy up to -22 °C. Pruning in spring supports a rich flowering. With Buddleja Sugar Plum in your garden you will surely have many six-legged visitors like butterflies and bees. Breeder is Peter R. Moore (England).
From the shrubs to the perennials. We would like to recommend new varieties of three classics: Agastache Beelicious® Purple, Lavendula intermedia Phenomenal and Echinacea Pretty Parasols. Agastache Beelicious® Purple (‘Agapd’PBR), does not carry its name for nothing: bees and butterflies love it. It does not care about the state of the soil at all and thrives on sandy, loamy and normal grounds. And as it grows flower after flower, it blossoms all summer long and right into autumn in a beautiful purple colour. Beelicious® Purple scores with its compact growth (30 cm wide, 40-50 cm high) and a winter hardiness up to -22 ºC. A beautiful eyecatcher in borders, mixed containers or as a solitary. The variety was bred by Van Hemert & Co. BV (Netherlands).
For the next course in your insect menu we recommend Lavandula intermedia Phenomenal (‘Niko’PBR). It really is phenomenal with its very large, purple blossoms. Pruning after the first floor gives a second blossom so that this lavendula flowers from spring till autumn. Phenomenal has an even, compact growth up to 70x70cm. It is perfect for flower beds, as a solitary or in mixed containers, and for mass plantings. The branches are sturdy and the rooting system grows reliably in normal as well as sandy ground. Lavendula Phenomenal comes from Peace Tree Farm LLC (USA).
The flowers of Echinacea Pretty Parasols (‘JS Engeltje’PBR) in pink and white really look like little sunshades. Butterflies and bumblebees come as the sweet humming toppings. Here comes your holiday feeling! Especially as Pretty Parasols nearly needs no care at all. The sturdy stems stand up against the wind. Hot summers as well as cold winters up to -25 °C do not harm it. The blossoms appear one after the other so that Pretty Parasols flowers from July till November. And they appear in different heights, sometimes there are several blossoms on one stem, what gives this echinacea a kind of “wild” appearance – perfect for a bee-friendly natural garden. Pretty Parasols grows about 90 cm high and 50 cm wide and is perfect for landscaping purposes as well as mixed borders or a planter on balcony or patio. It has been bred by Spruyt Select GCV (Belgium).
Half-Shade
We now make a step from the sun into the half-shade. This habitat gives belly aches to some garden owners. Without reason, we say. There are many beautiful, bee-friendly new varieties for this area. A treasure for “heavenly” flower walls and carpets in half shade or sun is Lonicera hybrid ‘Celestial’PBR, bred by Barry Fretwell (England). Beeing used as a climber it reaches a height of about 3 meters and becomes about 2 meters wide. Without a climbing aid it becomes an unusual ground cover. The flowers of Lonicera Celestial carry an elegant combination of intense orange- and pink shades as well as a delicious scent – impressive for human noses as well as for insects. This flower is perfect in a planter on balcony or terrace and, as said before, as a ground cover plant in the garden. Celestial is not prone to diseases and winter hardy up to -20 °C.
Panicled hydrangeas, some do not know that, are also bee pastures. Hydrangea paniculata Confetti (‘Vlasveld 02’PBR) even carries a light scent . The garden party may start, the insect buffet is open! The conical panicles of this variety have playful white and pink shades and a slightly green tip. Confetti blossoms from early spring till late autumn. It grows compact and bushy (120 cm high, 75 cm wide) with robust sprouts. It is very suitable for containers on terraces or balconies. Also in borders and flower beds, in groups or in combinations with other plants this happy hydrangea adorns every bee-friendly garden. Vlasveld Tuintechnieken (Netherland) is the breeder of this variety.
As another representative for the bee-friendly half-shade we would like to introduce Nepeta Neptune (‘Bokratune’PBR). It is a versatile perennial and also suitable for sunny sites. With its large blue blossoms and its compact growth it is a wonderful flower for garden beds, for a use as a solitary or a place in mixed containers. Bees profit from the long, lavish blossoming that lasts from summer till autumn. Nepeta Neptune becomes about 30-40 cm high and 30 cm wide, is winter hardy up to -25 °C. Kees Jan Kraan (Netherlands) is the breeder.
And if you now maybe place a deadwood pile, an insect hotel, a loamy hill for earth bumblebees or something like that between your beautiful new plants, your garden will surely buzz and hum all summer long.
About Plantipp
Plantipp is specialized in royalty management and represents breeders of ornamental plants worldwide. Currently, 250 varieties are managed and promoted by Plantipp in Europe, U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, China, Japan, Israel and South Africa. Plantipp has a passion for plants and respects its breeders. More information on the mentioned varieties can be found on our website www.plantipp.eu.
