Which bee friendly plants grow in poor soil?

[Lobster12345]

Keen to add more plants to my sparse borders. I know little about gardening and am flicking through an online plant catalogue and they all seem to require decent soil. I don't think ours is great although a few hardier things I've planted seem to survive ( shrubs mainly). Long -term I know I can improve the soil but any recommendations for things I can plant now that have a good chance of survival? Thanks!

Bees like dandelions which will grow somewhere. Bing them in pretty pots so they don't take over.

Buddleia
Borage
Clover
Dandelions

Achillea/yarrow is great for bees and tolerates most kinds of soil.
Lemon balm, though I suggest growing it in pots as it really likes to spread. Makes a lovely, calming infusion too.
In my garden the bees really love borage, nasturtiums and marigolds and they all seem to grow in the weirdest places quite happily.

Loads!!
Lots of perennials like a more scratchy soil. Achillea, verbena bonariensis, salvia, perovskia.

Try ornamental carrot too.

Wild flower mixes often like really rubbish soil, there's less competition for them to grow.

Viper's bugloss is great but can look a bit scruffy and is biennial so won't do anything the fist year. Borage. Marjoram for late summer. Erysymum 'Bowles Mauve' flowers for a large part of the year. Lavender.

Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil, and like shade as well as sun.

Lavender? We have tonnes of it in our garden because it's low maintenance. I've already seen a bumblebee buzzing around outside

Yes to lavender and wild flower mix for later. Definitely Nepeta (cat mint).

Lavender. It grows in shitty soil with little watering and bees LOVE it.

Thank you all. So helpful. If soil is poor is it best to plant actual plants rather than seeds to give it more of a chance?

lavender, rosemary, oregano,

You can do either. You might be able to improve the soil and give other plants a go. Seeds obviously take longer to germinate and might be patchy when they appear. You might have to thin out and reposition. Shrubs and perennials cost a lot more but last for years. You choose where you plant them to get the best effect.

Some grasses don’t care much about soil quality and plants like poppies are not bothered either. Wild flowers don’t want improved soil. Look at flower catalogues and sellers like Crocus for inspiration.

You could also look at bulbs for planting in the autumn and they would give spring colour. Daffodils and crocus are not too choosy. Also look at alliums. You can get quite a lot of the cheaper ones for not much money. Avoid any woodland plant or ones that like good soil.

Salvia, this grows rampant in our yard, especially the purple one & bees & even hummingbird moths love it. We tried everything & most just kept dying. Bleeding hearts good for bees too

Marjoram will be covered in bees mid-late summer.Thyme will also grow on poor soil.
Grown plants will do better and mail order are still going I think.
You can also but pots on the bed to fill with more fussy plants or summer bedding or even to sow with annual seeds.

toadflax
Marigolds- the proper 'English' ones - not the half hardy French/African bedding type ones
def. nasturtiums and catmint
Californian poppy

They will all self seed as well so you 'll get loads more plants next year