Gardening: Trees for bees

It's time for tree planting - well almost, and depending on what you're going to plant, of course.

If you have evergreens to go in the ground, you can start now and plant right through to September. Deciduous and fruit trees are best left till winter, but that, sadly, is not far away so you can certainly start planning what you're going to plant.

Bee favourites include apple (Malus spp.), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), lemon, orange, grapefruit (Citrus spp.), pear (Pyrus spp.), plum, peach (Prunus spp.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

A word of warning, though - make sure you select cultivars that are attractive to bees. Choose single flowers rather than the showier doubles and triples, and go for simple, traditional flowers rather than those that are highly modified. Many nursery catalogues and websites mark which cultivars attract bees, and if you're shopping at a garden centre, ask.