It's no secret that bees like sedum.

The Autumn Joy sedum (family Crassulaceae) growing in our garden is still a tight cluster of broccoli-like buds--not ready for prime time.

But don't tell the honey bees that.

Sedum is a slow bloomer, and bees poking their heads in the dusty pink buds is a common sight.

Plant sedum and they will come. (As will the butterflies, hover flies, carpenter bees and other insects.)

We are eagerly anticipating the blooms, too, in the half-acre Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, to be installed next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis. It's scheduled to open to the public on Oct. 16. Nearby will be a quarter-acre wildflower walkway called "Campus Buzzway."

The gardens will be a year-around food source for bees and provide educational experiences for visitors, who can learn about honey bees and glean ideas about bee friendly plants for their own gardens. 

Bring 'em on!