The Let's Bee Friends Collection is an excellent set of flowers that are known to entice bees and other pollinators into the garden. With the rapidly declining numbers of bees, it has never been more important to take steps now to ensure their continued symbiotic relationship with us. The varieties in this collection have been selected for their ease of growth and almost carefree maintenance once established. This collection includes:

• Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) Equally at home in the herb garden as it is in the flower bed, this purple coneflower is native the the Eastern US and is a wonderful and preferential source of nectar for bees.

• Bee Balm 'Red Shades' (Monarda didyma) The bright scarlet flowers coupled with rich nectar act as a magnet to bees. This low maintenance perennial would make an excellent addition to a bee friendly endeavor. Monarda also has a host of health benefits for humans as well.

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Yarrow is another great low maintenance selection to plant out for hungry pollinators. The blooms of this species are white and pair well as a backdrop for other more colorful species included in this collection.

• Orange Scented Thyme (Thymus 'Fragrantissimus') The heavenly citrus scent of this thyme makes it a pit stop for bees who cannot seem to resist it. Again, this variety hosts beneficial culinary and health properties for the grower as well.

• Pink Flowered Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis rosea) An English cottage garden favorite, pink hyssop boasts bubblegum pink flowers that fade to baby pink with age. Bees as well as many other pollinators flock to pink hyssop for it's irresistible nectar.

• Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata) As the name suggests, this plant is sought out by bees year after year. Lilac spider-like flowers give rise to it's second common name 'Bee-Spider Flower". Naturally occurring in the central and western parts of the US, rocky mountain bee plant is yet another species that has been utilized by humans for centuries.

• Black Eyed Susan 'Rustic Dwarfs' (Ruudbeckia hirta). Black Eyed Susan is a bright golden yellow north American wildflower and an invaluable source of nectar for many pollinators including bees. Black Eyed Susans bloom late in the season and provide a valuable source of food during the hottest months of the year.

• Honeywort 'Pride of Gibraltar' (Cerinthe major) Honeywort is also known as blue Shrimp plant and boasts deep blue nodding flowers upon a habit of thick fleshy leaves. Honeywort has been cultivated since antiquity. The Latin name for Honeywort translates to "wax flower" because the ancient Greeks thought that swarming bees collected wax rather than pollen from the flowers.

Each variety of seeds included in this collection is individually packaged with growing instructions and has been responsibly sourced from environmentally friendly suppliers or grown in our central Texas gardens (free from pesticides).

For even more fun and savings, check out our other rare seed packets, Grab Bags and Themed Garden Collections.