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What Can I Plant

6K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  Cindy 
#1 ·
Ok, so I am looking for suggestions on what to plant as forage for my bees. Specifically, some marshy/bog areas near ponds, drainage ditches, etc. These areas are usally either spongy or water logged from very late fall or winter until about now. Any suggestions? It would be nice to make use of these areas outside of growing swamp grass and mosquitos.
 
#3 ·
Wildflowers create a dark honey but very sweet. Buckwheat Is a dark honey and alfalfa. But with alfalfa just put a hive in or close to a field you can check weekly but you will know with that flow cause it will come and go in a 2 week period. Honeysuckle bees love the nector. Blackberrys,blueberrys,apple trees. Hope this helps
 
#6 ·
These are some great suggestions and I have some already growing. On the drier land I have tried sweet clover in two areas with no success. I think it is too acidic because the blueberries do great and they like acidic soil. Dutch clover is great where we have to keep the grass short. I planted some alike clover last fall and it took in most of the areas where the sweet clover failed. So far I like the Dutch and Alike clover combination. But there is alot of this boggy, soft, water logged land that seems to only support swamp grass. There has to be something beneficial that like this type of ground.
 
#12 ·
skunk cabbage loves boggy swampy areas. It's one of the very first flowers to bloom in the Spring (before dandelions where I live) and bees love it. It'll give your bees some food at a time when they may be very low of food stores. Plus, it's a native plant so it's good for the wetland environment.
 
#13 ·
I would start with some Marsh Marigold, very early spring blooms then add Bogbean and Lizards tail. Another one of my favorites is the Arrowhead, very pretty white flowers. Now, my all time favorite is Cardinal Flower, wonderful red spikes of blooms that atract Bee's and Humingbirds. All are perenial plants and come back every year for me here in Ohio.
 
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