Description:
English Lavender is perennial semi-evergreen and evergreen in warm winter areas. The plant consists of slender upright stems each tipped with a blue-purple, violet, lavender, white or pinkish inflorescence. The velvety leaves are narrow and grey-green with a very pleasing typical fragrance when crushed or brushed against. It grows to a height of about 60-70 cm and spreads to about 1m.

Propagation:
Starting, it is best to obtain young plants from a nursery to plant in spring. It can be propagated in summer by shoot-cuttings without buds, clump division or seeds. Propagating from seeds is rather difficult. It needs little water and well-drained poor soil with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. For a hedge, plants should be about 30 cm apart, and individual bushes 1m apart. It grows easily in a container.

Blooming:
Blooming occurs once in early to mid-summer and may last for several weeks. If pruned after blooming, a second weaker blooming season will commence.

Diseases and other problems:
It is susceptible to leaf spots and root rot caused by overwatering. Yellow leaves may be a sign of overwatering.

Maintenance:
Water once or twice a week after planting until plants are established. Water mature plants every two to three weeks until buds form, then once or twice weekly until harvest. Prune established plants in Autumn in warm areas and in Spring in cold areas, when green leaves start to emerge from the base. Remove about one-third of the top to keep the plant from becoming leggy and bare at the base, but do not cut back into old wood, as it will not regrow.

Benefits for bees:
Bees are attracted to Lavender due to its sweet fragrance and vibrant colour. It is rich in nectar and pollen and bees can spend whole days in Lavender. Lavender honey has a distinct, pleasant flavour.

Description: Height, spread, bloom
French Lavender is distinguished by the two upright petals which tip each flower head. It is a perennial shrub, 24-30 cm high and 70-90 cm wide. Its leaves are more silvery than those of other species. The flowers may be from deep purple to pink. In areas with warm winters, it may be evergreen.

Propagation:
It is propagated with cuttings with no flowers, which are cut where the new growth meets the old. Cuttings are placed in water until roots appear. Another way is to break a clump from the main bush and transplant it.

Season for planting:
Summer

Requirements:
Location, soil, light, water, frost, warning: It needs at least six hours of full sun in gravely, well-drained, moist soil. It can withstand some drought but dies in waterlogged conditions. It thrives in hot, dry conditions but is sensitive to extreme cold. It grows well in a well-drained container.

Blooming season:
It has a long blooming season from mid-spring to late summer

Diseases and other problems:
It tends to develop root rot in very wet conditions. Too much nitrogen may result in yellow leaves, gangling plants and few flowers. It is sometimes attacked by the rosemary beetle and froghoppers.

Maintenance:
It is easy to care for once it is established. It does not need fertilizer. Do not over-prune; just trim away one-third of the plant after flowering. Cut away dead flowerheads. Do not get the leaves wet when watering, but water at the soil level.

Benefits for bees:
It is more attractive to bees than some other kinds of lavender, as it is very rich in nectar and pollen and its colour and fragrance add to the attraction as the honey produced, has a mild scent of lavender, without any acidity or bitterness.

Description: Height, spread, bloom
Perennial basil is a shrub with several branches and thick foliage. It usually grows to a height of approximately 80 centimetres and a width of approximately 60 centimetres, but in favourable conditions it may spread considerably.  The bright green fragrant leaves are small and oval in shape. It flowers all year round. The flowers are purple and white in colour, arranged in long stems, and found spread throughout the plant.

Propagation:
It sows itself; you may scatter seeds over a prepared bed and lightly cover with soil. Or you may take a cutting right below a leaf node from a shoot which has not bloomed yet. Remove the leaves off the cutting about 5 cm from the end. The cutting can then be placed in a glass of water on the windowsill where it can get good sunlight. Change the water every few days until you see root growth, then leave your basil until the roots grow to about 5 cm. This can take two to four weeks until it is ready for planting.

Season for planting:
Sow seeds in spring, plant cuttings in summer

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings
They love sunlight. They will thrive in areas that expose them to partial or full sunlight.They do well in well-drained, well composted, moist soil. Using mulch and organic fertilisers is greatly recommended for abundant flowers.

Blooming season:
They flower all year round.

Diseases and other problems:
Snails, slugs and aphids may be a problem.

Maintenance:
Constant pruning will result in neat bushes, but pruning twice a year during spring and autumn will ensure long strings of flowers. Water regularly because they need to be consistently moist. Cutting off the dead flower spikes will encourage more flowers Avoid overhead irrigation and splashing plants with water, instead, water plants from the base and apply a layer of mulch around the plants to reduce water splash; remove and destroy any unhealthy leaves.

Benefits for bees:
Perennial basils are regarded as the most attractive plants for bees. The small flowers make it easy for the bees to reach the rich source of nectar and pollen. The honey made from perennial basil has a subtle basil fragrance.

Description: Height, spread, bloom
The shrub grows from 4 to 5 feet tall and is generally erect and rounded. The aromatic, needle-like leaves are green on the upper surface, and the undersides are white and woolly. The flowers are tiny, blue, lavender, or white whorled around the stem.

Propagation:
Rosemary plants are difficult to grow from seed, and gardeners might find more success propagating from stem cuttings, layering, or division of established plants.Cuttings grow quickly in good conditions and should be ready for outdoor planting in about 8 weeks.

Season for planting:
Plant in spring or summer. It is easily transplanted and rooted. For a head start, plant the cuttings indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost.

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings
It tolerates drought, partial shade, salt, heavy pruning, and most soil types except clay. However, it has a low tolerance for wet, humid environments. It grows best in at least six hours daily of sunlight in well-drained soil in a garden bed or large pot. It’s a perennial herb and quite hardy. It is somewhat drought-resistant and can also withstand fairly cold conditions.

Blooming season:
Flowering usually begins in the spring and into summer sometimes all year round

Diseases and other problems:
Rosemary is generally pest and disease free.  Aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and spider mites, may occur, particularly if indoors. Poor circulation and high humidity can cause powdery mildew. Root rot and botrytis are common diseases. Overwatering is the common cause of plant decline or death. Rosemary can be difficult to overwinter indoors.

Maintenance:
Once the bloom has passed, severe pruning is an option to encourage dense foliage growth.Be careful not to overwater. Rosemary doesn’t often need fertilizer, but if the plant looks small or growth seems slow, fertilize with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer in the spring before new growth appears. Prune when the plant gets too lanky.

Benefits for bees:
Rosemary blooms are the favourite flowers for bees. As Rosemary blooms early in the spring, it is one of the few nectar sources for newly emerging bees. They collect nectar and also take the pollen. Rosemary also supplies a source of nectar in the winter.

Description: Height, spread, bloom
It is a rounded, spreading, multi-stemmed shrub in the honeysuckle family. It features clusters of white-tinged-pink, bell-shaped fragrant flowers almost 2 cm longwhich appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends. The shiny bright green leaves are oval/elliptical. It reaches a height of 90 to 180 cm and becomes as wide. It may be evergreen in prime conditions.

Propagation:
It is easy to propagate through stem cuttings. Take these cuttings from healthy plants only, preferably from the plant’s upper portion. Try to get the cuttings during the early morning hours as they will contain more moisture, making them less susceptible to stress. The cuttings should be at least 10-15 cm in length and free of any flower buds. Strip any leaves from the lower end of the cutting before planting. Treat the cuttings with a rooting hormone before placing 1/3 to 1/2 of the stripped stem into a medium such as sand, a mixture of peat and perlite or a mixture of sand and perlite. It is best to place the cuttings in a shady area, avoiding direct sun, until roots have formed. Keep moist and allow at least 4 to 6 weeks for roots to form.

Season for planting:
Mid–spring

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings:
It is easily grown in moist, organically rich soils which drain well in full sun to part shade. It flowers best in full sun.

Blooming season:
It has a long blooming season from late winter, through early spring to autumn.

Diseases and other problems:
It is not prone to serious insect or disease problems, but it may die back in a severe winter.

Maintenance:
It blooms on new wood, so it is advisable to remove stems lost to winter and, if desired, thin to the ground up to 1/3 of old stems in late winter to early spring. Apply a slow-release fertilizer formulated for woody plants in early spring. Mulch around the root zone with organic matter to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Watering:
Though drought and heat tolerant once established, it performs best with regular watering. Irrigate once or twice a week during summer

Benefits for bees:
It has a very long blooming season of nectar and pollen rich flowers.

Description: Height, spread, bloom
Autumn sage is a soft, mounding shrub normally 60-90 cm tall, and less in width, with small, minty aromatic green leaves that are evergreen in warmer climates. The flowers are borne on racemes from spring to frost and can be red, pink, purple, orange, or white.

Propagation:
Propagate salvia from soft wood cuttings in the spring. Applying a root stimulator to the cutting will stimulate growth.

Season for planting:
Spring

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings:
Autumn sage must have a well-drained site and cannot take shrink-swell clay soils. Though generally cold tolerant, it will be deciduous in regions with extremely cold winters. Avoid planting it near heavy foot traffic because the stems are very brittle.

Blooming season:
It blooms repeatedly all year round.

Diseases and other problems:
It is quite disease and insect-free, but aphids and spider mites may become invasive

Maintenance:
By periodically pinching off its tips you will encourage even more continuous blooms. It is drought tolerant and once established it requires minimal water and care and should not be fertilized.

Benefits for bees:
It has a long blooming season supplying plenty of nectar and pollen.

Description: Height, spread, bloom:
Gaura grows in clumps of long, thin, wiry stems 40-120 cm tall and as wide. It bears dainty white, butterfly-like flowers, tinged with pink, throughout the moving shrub. The leaves are small and inconspicuous.

Propagation:
It is propagated from seed or seedlings that emerge from these self-seeding plants but taking cuttings is the best way to go. With a sharp knife or pruners, cut off 10 cm shoots that are growing from the base of the stem. Cut them off as close to the crown as possible without damaging it.  Gently push the cuttings into soggy potting soil about 3 cm deep. Place them in a protected location out of sunlight and winds. Keep the soil moist at all times, watering daily. It can take up to two months for new growth to appear.

 Season for planting:
Spring

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings
It may be invasive in prime conditions. It thrives in full sun with excellent drainage and tolerates extreme heat and humidity as well as cold.

Blooming season:
From early spring till late autumn

Diseases and other problems:
It is generally pest and disease-free, but may be affected by certain pests like aphids. Infestations of spider mites, whiteflies, and leaf miners are less common,

Maintenance:
It is recommended that gaura is cut back to the ground in autumn. Cutting back the stems after the first main bloom, will encourage a tidy plant and encourage repeat blooming.

Benefits for bees:
It has a long bloom time and bees are very active in the early morning.

Description: Height, Spread, Bloom
Freylinia tropica, a red-listed rare shrub, is known for its delicate beauty and ecological benefits. It grows up to 2 meters in height with a 1-meter spread and blooms profusely with stunning bell-shaped flowers ranging from light mauve to bright blue.

Propagation:
The fastest way to propagate Freylinia tropica is through cuttings in summer. Use root-stimulating hormones to encourage healthy root development.

Planting Season:
Best planted in summer for optimal growth.

Growing Requirements:

• Location: Thrives in semi-shade.
• Soil: Prefers well-draining, compost-enriched soil.
• Water: Requires moderate watering.
• Frost Resistance: Tolerates cold and light frost, but young plants need protection during their first winters.

Blooming Season:
This shrub blooms beautifully in spring and summer, adding vibrant color to any garden.

Pests and Diseases:
Freylinia tropica is highly resistant to pests and diseases, making it a low-maintenance choice.

Maintenance:
Seasonal clipping is essential to encourage bushier growth and prevent the plant from becoming scraggly.

Benefits for Bees:
Rich in nectar, Freylinia tropica is a favorite among bees, supporting pollinator populations and biodiversity.

Add Freylinia tropica to your garden for its rare beauty, environmental benefits, and low-maintenance charm!

Description: Height, spread, bloom
The Coral Vine is a rapidly growing, tropical climbing vine with tuberous roots. The vine is evergreen in tropical climates but deciduous in cooler climates. The leaves are pale green and somewhat arrow-shaped. The flowers are coral-pink clusters that bloom from spring to autumn. It may grow 2m in a season and can reach a height of 12 m.  

Propagation:
It sows itself and can be propagated from seeds, tubers and cuttings

Season for planting:
Late winter or early spring

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings
It has been declared invasive in some places. The Coral Vine prefers warm temperatures and high precipitation. It will thrive in almost any type of soil. In warm climates, the vine grows and flowers all year-round. It is cold-sensitive but quickly grows back from cold damage. It is tolerant of hot climates and poor soils.

Blooming seaso;n
It blooms from spring to fall and in prime conditions it may bloom all year round.

Diseases and other problem;s
The vine is not prone to serious pests or diseases. Caterpillars may eat the foliage.

Maintenance:
Water coral vine regularly during the first growing season to get the plant off to a good start. Thereafter, coral vine is relatively drought tolerant and requires only occasional irrigation. Once weekly during hot, dry weather is generally plenty. Coral vine normally needs no fertilizer. Prune it every year in late winter or early spring to keep the size in check, then trim as needed throughout the year. Alternatively, just shear the plant to the ground in spring. It will bounce back in no time at all.

Benefits for bees:
The flowers provide a very good source of nectar and pollen, it is extensively visited by honey bees producing light coloured honey with a pleasant fragrance.

Description: Height, spread, bloom:
The strawberry is a low-growing herbaceous plant with a fibrous root system and a crown from which arise basal leaves. The leaves are compound, typically with three leaflets, sawtooth-edged, and usually hairy. The flowers are generally white, borne in small clusters on slender stalks arising, like the surface-creeping stems, from the axils of the leaves. As a plant ages, the root system becomes woody, and the mother crown sends out runners that touch ground and root, thus enlarging the plant.

Propagation:
Plants are propagated from runners 

Season for planting:
Spring.

Requirements: location, soil, light, water, frost, warnings
It needs 6-10 hours a day of direct sunlight, it prefers loamy soil that drains well. The well-drained soil needs aged manure or compost. Do not plant in a site that recently had strawberries, peppers, tomatoes or eggplant. Provide adequate space for sprawling. Be diligent about weeding. Strawberry plants need a lot of water 

Blooming season:
It blooms in spring.

Diseases and other problems:
Around 200 species of pests are known to attack strawberries both directly and indirectly. These pests include slugs, moths, fruit flies, chafers, strawberry root weevils, strawberry thrips, strawberry sap beetles, strawberry crown moth, mites, aphids, and others. The caterpillars of a number of species of Lepidoptera feed on strawberry plants. For example, the ghost moth is known to be a pest of the strawberry plant. Strawberry plants can fall victim to a number of diseases, especially when subjected to stress

Maintenance:
Watering strawberry roots, and not the leaves, is preferred as moisture on leaves encourages fungal growth When the growing season is over, mow or cut foliage down to one inch.  In winter mulch plants about 4 inches deep with straw, pine needles, or other organic material.

Benefits for bees:
Strawberry pollination is best accomplished by bees and other insects. Although the flowers do not produce a lot of nectar, bees will still visit the flowers and ensure complete pollination.Encourage bees and insects to visit your strawberries by planting other flowering plants nearby.