Are there rose bushes or flowers that don't attract bees?

I want to plant a garden in our back yard, but my husband is highly allergic to bee stings. And I don't want to make the yard inaccessible to him.

Are there rose bushes or flowers that don't attract bees?
Flowers attract bees, plain and simple.



As for making the yard inaccessible; I'm highly allergic to bees myself, do all my own gardening, grow flowers, veggies, and everything else.... and I have my epi-pen in my purse, another in my gardening basket, and another in the fridge in my house.... and you know what?? I've never been stung in my garden. I've never been stung on my patio. I've never been stung pruning, picking harvesting, or planting..... or for that matter, resting in my hammock. I've been stung at baseball games, installing fence in a wide open field, and walking across the parking lot going into work. Funny how that works...isn't it??



Now..... if he's become phobic about it (and it's really easy to do when it's life and death choices), there are some ways to help you, and him around it. First, the more flailing that the allergic person does, the more the bee will follow them. Nature of the perverse. Also, he needs to make sure that he's not attracting them himself. Aftershave, certain shampoos, dryer sheets used with laundry, and.... believe it or not.... certain deoderant/anti persperants just act like magnets! Once he's made sure he's not attracting them by scent: bright colors attract the less aggressive types of "bees" that don't mind just being "shooed" away, but dark colors attract the more aggressive! Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets LOVE dark colors: brown, black, maroon, burgendy, magenta! (and they also love soda cans, and beer, and all sorts of other stuff, so be wary of snackage left laying, spilled around....) So, if you plan on planting near the area that he will be in, make sure that the flowers/shrubs used don't contain any of those colors in their petals or their centers....



Keep the patio area, or wherever he wants to hang his hammock free of blossoms and edge in walkways and underareas with shrubs, low growing ground cover or flowers that don't attract the more aggressive sting-y critters. Then, as you move further away from the "allergic human zone" , or into the middle of your actual "garden", plant the "bee" friends. They really are the prettiest of the flowers and if they have plenty of natural stuff to entertain themselves with, they won't.... uhm..... "bug" the human interloper in their garden. :-)

Don't plant coreopsis, brown eyed susan, or other plants that attract wasps anywhere near the human domain (as stated above).... Also, some things to put amongst them in hope of keeping the other possible sting-ys away at the same time are bee-balm, cone flower, butterfly bushes, and daisy's. They will add the attractant to those areas that are stronger than those of the blossoms of the veggies or low growers that may be found to contain human inhabitants that would rather not be buzzed.



Bummble bees don't sting unless it's a last ditch to get away because they die when their stingers get pulled out, so finding them on your "close to humans" plants shouldn't be a bother. Honey bees may, but usually they can just be shooed away gently, or....if I'm not in the mood, I just move to a different area until they get done or that place is in the shade. They don't go about their business in the shade.

That's also another viable option. For a long time, I did most of my outside, I am allergic to bees, kind of things in the late afternoon, in the shade or torch or moon light. Of course....that's how I discovered that I'm also allergic to deer fly and horse fly....



Cutter is really good at keeping them all away if all else fails!



Don't let the bees keep you or your husband from enjoying the outside or a garden. Just plan it in such a way that he has his space and they have theirs!



Good luck and happy gardening!! Don't let the buzzzzzz put a sting in your enjoyment! ...... or his!!
Reply:Yes, there are. They are called "indoor plants."



But seriously, I concur with the Black-Eyed Susan observation. Never have seen a bee/wasp near them.
Reply:Sorry but all flowers attract some sort of singing insect.
Reply:There is probably no perfect answer, but bees tend not to be attracted by blue flowers. But don't count on that, because that is a generality and not always the case.



Also, I rarely see bees on my black-eyed susans (coneflower var.). I do see butterflys however, so maybe I am just missing the bees.



I don't like the vegetables suggestion. Most vegetables (except the leafy ones) flower before they form fruit.
Reply:I would build a covered patio or deck, otherwise have you considered planting vegetables?

harvest them before they flower.
Reply:There are no flowers I know of that don't attract bees. Good luck.