What to Plant in October for Happy Bees Next Spring

Most of the country thinks of spring as planting season. In the Bay Area, it's fall. Our winter rains do the watering for you, the soil is still warm enough for roots to grow, and plants settled in by winter take off the moment spring arrives. If you want a garden full of bees next year, October is the time to act.

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Why fall planting works so well here

• Rain does the work. Plants get established with far less hand-watering than a spring planting needs.
• Warm soil, cool air. Roots keep growing while the tops take it easy, so plants are ready to bloom early.
• Natives expect it. Many California native plants naturally sprout and grow with the winter rains.

Seeds to sow now

Scatter these wildflower seeds before or just as the first rains arrive:

• California poppy: Tough, cheerful, and loved by many native bees.
• Lupine: Purple-blue spikes that bumble bees adore.
• Phacelia: Fuzzy lavender flowers that are among the best bee plants there is. Honey bees go wild for them.
• Clarkia: Late-spring color when other wildflowers fade.
• Tidy tips and goldfields: Low, sunny carpets of yellow.

Tip: Rake the soil lightly, scatter seeds, press them in gently, and let the rain handle the rest. Many wildflower seeds need light to germinate, so don't bury them deep.

Want it all at once? A California native wildflower mix covers several of these in one bag.

Shrubs and perennials to plant now

• Ceanothus (California lilac): Clouds of blue in early spring and a bee magnet.
• Manzanita: Blooms in winter when little else does, offering vital early food.
• Salvias: Both native sages and garden salvias bloom for long stretches.
• California buckwheat: Blooms in summer and fall, filling the late-season gap.
• Lavender and rosemary: Mediterranean favorites that thrive in our climate. (Both are on our list of the best pollinator plants for Fremont.)

Bulbs for early spring

Crocus, grape hyacinth, and ornamental alliums can go in now. Early-blooming bulbs give bees a boost at the very start of the season when colonies are building up.

Look for crocus bulbs and grape hyacinth bulbs, and a bulb planter makes quick work of it.

Plan for year-round bloom

The best pollinator gardens have something flowering in every season. When you plan your fall planting, think about the gaps: what's blooming in your yard in February? In August? Filling those gaps is one of the most helpful things a gardener can do for bees. (Here's what our bees are finding this fall.)

Fall garden habits that help bees

• Leave some seed heads and hollow stems standing over winter for native bees.
• Keep a patch of bare, unmulched soil for ground-nesting bees.
• Skip pesticides, especially systemic ones that can end up in pollen and nectar. (Here's why it matters.)
• Plant in groups. Bees prefer big patches of one flower over single scattered plants.
• Set out a bee bath so pollinators have safe water during dry spells.

Thinking bigger than flowers? Trees feed more bees than any flower bed can. See The Best Pollinator Trees to Plant in the Bay Area.