Bees at Waddesdon
We all need to do what we can to keep bees buzzing, so we're celebrating bees at Waddesdon by looking at the best bee-friendly plants you can find around the grounds and discovering bee-related objects in the collection.
Where to search for bees at Waddesdon
The Parterre
As well as plenty of flowers to pollinate, bees need water. With it’s colourful bedding and a large fountain, the formal parterre is therefore the perfect spot for bees to buzz.
The Rose Garden
Bees are particularly attracted to roses that have single or semi-double flowers, as they give them easy access to their pollen-rich stamens. A selection of these roses can be found in the Rose Garden, along with herbaceous planting that bees love.
Bee-friendly plants you can find around the grounds
Lavender
Verbena
Delphinium
Salvia
Nemesia
Bee orchid
Agapanthus
Traditional rose
Making the gardens greener
Waddesdon has been reducing the regular “in season” mowing of the formal gardens, and consequently wildflowers are flourishing, transforming the lawns and attracting a diversity of wildlife.
Waddesdon echium honey
Homemade from the beautiful blue flowers on the Waddesdon estate, this local honey is both healthy and delicious. The echium plant produces a type of oil that is rich in omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9, allowing our honey to burst with Waddesdon goodness.
Waddesdon’s echium honey is available online and in the Waddesdon shop.
Bees in the Waddesdon collection
Bees can also be found in the collections, such as in 18th-century drawings or on ornamental pineapples…
BBC Radio 2's Big Bee Challenge
Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem, which is why we’re supporting BBC Radio 2’s Big Bee Challenge this summer.