Visit to Sussex Prairies

I was recommended to visit Sussex Prairies by a friend who is also deeply into bees who said that the plants range they grow results in a great display of bees as well as flowers. Oh boy, was she right! Knowing that they specialise in a style of planting that is meant to evoke the American prairies, we chose to visit in August when many of the native american prairy plants - echinacea, rudbeckia, helenium - are at their best.

I have to say it was sensational with its giant sized, sweeping borders, planted in blocks of between 30 and c.100 plants at at time of the same species. The result is bold blocks of colour , height and texture.

The bees were particularly drawn to the echinacea (pictured) and veronicastrums which were a mass in full bloom. We took the opportunity to increase our stock of bumblebee photos and where delighted to add some species we had never seen before including  southern cuckoo bumbles.

I strongly recommend a visit at http://sussexprairiegarden.co.uk/