Home on the Range

 

Thanks to the wonder of Twitter, we heard about a place called Sussex Prairies, near Henfield. It sounded like just the kind of place we enjoy, so on Sunday we headed out there. And we weren't disappointed! 

The sight that greeted us

Only planted in May 2008 by owners Paul and Pauline McBride, the site comprises 6 acres of borders and sculptures surrounded by mature trees, with glimpses of the South Downs beyond.

We've always been fans of this informal, naturalistic style of planting, but one thing we wanted to check out was - just how good are these plants for bees?

A sea of Rudbeckia

 Turns out they're fantastic! Some of the plants we saw were absolutely dripping with pollinators; the Veronicastrums were almost a health hazard, there were so many honey bees.

Pale Echinaceas with a splash of pink

Now this I love! Kniphofia and fennel - what a colour combination

 Anybody looking to work out the best plants for bees could do an awful lot worse than spending an hour wandering around Sussex Prairies with a notebook. A truly inspiring garden.

Drifts of Lythrum salicaria and Verbena bonariensis

Just stunning...