Plant a bee cafe

This is a super simple gardening activity that will help your local bees. You can plant in the ground, in a patio pot or in a window box.

What you need

A plant pot or window box (make sure they have drainage holes underneath).

Plants or seeds that bees like these include, lavender, bluebells, comfrey, clovers, hellebore, wood anemone, salvias, cosmos, chives, crocus and calendula.

soil or compost

a trowel (if you don't have one dig with fingers or an old spoon)

What to do

If planting seeds: Fill your container with soil or compost and make holes for the seeds a couple of cms below the surface. Cover with soil and water them. Place them in a sunny spot and water them regularly, the soil should always feel moist but not waterlogged.

If using plants: Half fill your container. space your plants with enough room to grow between them. Fill in with soil and press firmly around the base of the plants. Water them and place them in a sunny spot. Keep watering them regularly.

We used campanula, lavender and bacopa.

Talking points While you're planting talk through our fun facts about why bees are so important to our food system.

The London Beekeepers' Association has a full list of pollinator friendly plants.