Bee lawns produce more flowers than typical lawns, but FAR less that something like clover or buckwheat.

I have wildflower gardens here. The plants I see honeybees use most here is purple cone flower, Lavender Hyssop, Joe Pye weed and Hollow Joe Pie weed. These plants come up every year.
A good source for seeds and plants for pollinators would be "Prairie Nurseries" out of Wisconsin. They can offer plants by each or hundreds. They also offer many types of native seeds. I have grown many of mine plants from seed but it takes a couple of years for them to bloom.
You could add some of this into any clover mix but remember that it will take a couple of years for these plants to bloom profusely. The Joe pye weeds are absolute bee magnets but do prefer a more moist soil.

I hear ya! From what I am reading the ratios are not rocket science. I can easily adjust the proportions and/or varieties. My objectives are:

• Low maintenance. Meaning no watering or weeding and minimal mowing
• Provide an easy source of nectar and pollen for a dozen hives.
• Spruce up the danged place. I'm tired of looking at weeds

I just planted some buckwheat. Was surprised it sprouted in 2 days. Should flower out in a couple weeks and will be good until first frost.

One of my neighbors is a beekeeper and as far as I know, pretty knowledgeable on the subject. He prefers buckwheat and yellow clover if planting a plot with bees in mind. I have seen zillions of "his" bees swarming on buckwheat that I have had on my place. It is quite the sight and nice to know that I am also helping his bees. Side benefit...quail love the yellow clover and all gamebirds like the buckwheat and it is a good soil builder too.

Another perennial I will add to my list is culvers root. I was just out looking and found honeybees in my purple cone flower and culvers root. Somebody has a couple of hives about 1/2 mile from here and I suspect this is where the bees are coming from. They were here last year too. I enjoy watching them. I will add more plants to this list when I confirm they are using them.
Culvers root is another plant that will grow in a wet soil or a ditch. It is long lived and here it has spread slowly from seed down my drain ditches.

I should mention that lavender hyssop can grow on a very dry ground. Whats worth mentioning is that the leaves smell loud of licorice. Last trapping season, I boiled down large hands full of the leaves to make a strong hyssop tea of sorts. This I added to a little Colgate peppermint toothpaste to make a large quantity of CHEAP rat lure. Now, the toothpaste may work just as well without the hyssop added. There I was with all those hyssop leaves and you all know that trappers are going to try some strange things...and sometimes they actually work. I'll just say that adding the hyssop tincture did not hurt the toothpaste in the least. The lure did catch rats.
Luck!

Alot of the local pheasants forever chapters have reimbursment programs for planting habitat mixes, might check with them before you say no to $1000 acre mixes. Check out Prairie Nursery out of wisconsin, they have some great mixes also.

i put dutch white clover in my lawn the bees work it pretty good .if you don't mined it in your grass. i heard hairy vitch is good to

Man, this is getting tough. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

Since I've got a few acres to play with, I think I'll just start dumping seed. A little strip of this here and a little of that there.


Is there something I can plant right now and get flowers yet this year? As long as I'm experimenting, no need to wait for a fall planting.

If your planting from seeds, if you do it properly, you won’t have any flowers for a couple years. Mow,mow and mow some more for the first year at 2 to 4 inchheight. 2nd year 4 to 6 inch height, 3rd year 6 to 12 inches. You want the root mass to develop to out compete the weeds.

buckwheat will flower this year in mich. i don't know about mn. i planted buckwheat 3 days ago

As long as you get rain after planting, buckwheat will flower this year. I plant about 50 lbs per acre if I remember right.

Thanks. I'm headed to the buckwheat store.

I'm sure most know the far different taste of Buckwheat honey compared to wildflower...or clover honey. I like it, but many DO NOT. Just something to think about before planting.

You are right about the flavor, and it has a distinctive dark color. No worries, though. It is an annual, and just something to control the weeds until my fall planting.

The buck wheat is perfect takes 3 weeks to bloom and will bloom for 3 weeks so best if you got a minimum of 6 weeks before frost.
I have sown white clover with the buckwheat and it gives some protection from winter. Work the ground and get a good seed/soil contact with Cultipacker. It is a stronger flavor but I like it ok. Good in tea and cooking too but more importantly it gives bees good forage going into late fall winter.

Good point WHSKR. The Buckwheat honey will most likely feed the bees overwinter, not part of the harvest.

Buckwheat honey is wonderful stuff if you like it dark and strong. Many compare it to molasses. I wouldn't say it's that harsh but it definitely is full flavored.

I personally like buckwheat honey but unless you are into honey, it is an acquired taste. Average person doesn't like the stuff.