I really don't know how you just pick three. Any kind of herb with tiny flowers will attract all sorts of beneficials. Just letting your lettuce and other spring crops flower and go to seed will bring all types in. As far as wild flowers go, plant some Yarrow, and Monarda. Actually, the more you plant, the more diverse your garden will be. Don't limit yourself.

Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria) is supposed to attract more types of beneficials than any other flower. Although they are short-lived perennials, at least hereabouts, they self-seed freely so overall they've been multiplying in our garden and I leave some growing throughout.

Two others I've seen attract a lot of beneficial traffic are fennel (Foeniculum vulgaris) (at the edge of the garden, as most vegetables are said to dislike it) and wild oregano, also called pot marjoram, also kept at the border. It hums with bees in summer.

Aside from these there are - okay just the three, plus what Roberta said.

Second year carrots produce a large "Queen Annes Lace" like flower that beneficials like. Both are related.

Borage is pretty and attracts bees.

Mint- attracts wasps by the boatloads
Echinacea- Attracts bees and butterflies
Dill- Attracts more wasps

Rodale's Organic Gardening magazine has run articles on this topic several times. As I recall, they especially recommended white cosmos, and in general any flower with tiny flowers (because it can be used by a wider range of fauna), such as yarrow and anything else in the Asteraceae family (smaller, less hybridized daisylike flowers -- the insects love the tiny disk flowers), anything in the Apiaceae (carrot, parsley, dill, fennel, angelica, etc.) family, and also Lamiaceae (mints, sages, lemon balm, basil, lavender, etc.).

I visited the Univ. of Calif. Bee Garden the other day. Dr. Frankie recommended a variety of plants to attract the widest range of native bees -- if you have the space, plant at least 8 or 9 different species, and plant about a square meter of each plant species.

If you're planting any shrubs, I've read that researchers have found more insects on Baccharis pilularis, a native Calif. shrub, than on any other plant they've studied. It, too, has tiny flowers.

If you're planting only three, then choose them from different plant families. A good mix for a small garden would be yarrow, lavender, and either parsley or coriander/cilantro (and let it go to seed).

Here is a link that might be useful: UC Bee Garden

Unknowingly chose one from each family - Golden Marguerite (Asteraceae), Fennel (Apiaceae) and Oregano (Lamiaceae) - how about that :)

I always let some herbs bloom, esp. coriander. And I plan to let some beets bloom this year, having heard they have a good scent.

Sweet alyssum, angelica and echinacea have been three of my favorites for attracting a variety of insects. This year I'll be adding borage, something I've wanted to plant for a long time and finally have the space to accomodate its legendary re-seeding nature. I'll also be adding Golden Marguerite, partly because it was listed in an issue of OG Magazine last year as one of the best plants for attracting a wide range of benenficials.

Good link habitat_gardener. I became aware of the variety of native pollinators only two years ago. Since then I watch for them and add more to my "life list" every year. I wish Audubon would publish a guidebook to native pollinators or, bees & wasps.

Paul, thanks for the tip on beet blossoms. I'm going to let some bloom this year.

The minute wasps that seem to do most of the pest insect control like minute flowers. So I suggest Quenn Anne's lace, Dill, and Sweet alyssum. Regards, Peter.

I have to say thank you to all who have given advice it is interesting to read all and I read habitat_gardener (in general any flower with tiny flowers (because it can be used by a wider range of fauna), such as yarrow and anything else)this is maybe why all the french around here leave some of greens to go to seed I thought when I saw the massive amounts of tiny white flowers on them that they were being a little thrifty and producing there own seeds but this makes more sence I allso notice a lot of yarrow growing on the edge of peoples gardens maybe for the same reason I myself have to admit I chopped most of mine back on the edge of my garden and now feel pretty stupid but lucky for me my neighbours garden is full of it
I am new to gardening (used to have a 15 foot square concrete back yard last year but now we are lucky to have an acre here in France ,,bliss) so all help is apreciated we have old fruit trees in the second half of the garden and in the middle of all the edible trees is a a huge horse chestnut and I have wondered why this was so when everything else is edible but maybe when you see millions of tiny blossom on it, it may be for the same reason does anyone know if blossom from conker trees helps otherwise its comming down this winter as it is tooo big for the space we have thanks

no no no I cant just pick three...lol.

I am interested in plants and natural pollinaters as well.

I adore how monarchs seem to be so attracted to lavender as well as the bees. So I do have a soft spot for lavender. I like bee balm or monranda. I like how the bees take ownership on globe thistle as well. But I could never give up my dandelions which I enjoy making tea from, and finding a bee snuggled inside a snapdragon ( need to carry my camera around in the gardens this year- need to remind myself some how!):)

We are the stewarts and husbands to the land it seems.

I didn't see any mention of basil?

Flowering herbs are great attractors in my yard; cinnamon & lemon basils, garlic chives & 'wild' arugula are my mainstays.

I also allow native wildflowers (a.k.a. weeds) to flourish here & there - beneficials love them.

Guess you need to make a choice Some Bene's are attraacted by flowers Most are by the smell/buzzing by the predator

These guys don't give a crap about your flowers but eat the majority of soft bodied insects in your garden

Byron

Here is a link that might be useful: Dragons

Clover is useful under fruit trees to attract bees and keep them fed when the trees are not flowering.

You really do need more than three...the name of the game is to keep a constant source of nectar throughout the season. three that bloom long are yellow rocketcress (Barbarea, early spring), tickseed (Coreopsis, summer), and large stonecrops (Sedum, for fall). There are some big gaps to fill between those three, but they're a good start.

I have really enjoyed wintered over parsley. It is very pretty and popular with the bugs. Last year, I had three good looking parsley plants in the fall and I hated to pull them out, so I piled on some shredded leaves really not expecting them to make it through, but even after the horrible winter we had, they surprised me this spring by coming back. Such a pleasant surprise too. :-) They are already starting to bud and can't wait to see them open. That way you also get a ton of seed you can save and keep growing your own parsley.

I would also have to second the Sedum along with the idea of always having blooms all season long. Sedum is covered with bees and many other bugs when it is in bloom.

Anthemis I have also heard is the number one beneficial insect attractor. I don't have any but keep meaning to get some. If anyone has seed they collect, I would be interested in trading for it.

Adam

Organic Gardening magazine has this article about the best ornamentals for attracting beneficials.

Here is a link that might be useful: organic gardening

Great link, Althea. I have some of those; going to look for the golden marguerite. For soem reason, I have a hard time growing bachelors buttons, which I love.
K.

Great year for bees and wasps of all kinds (and dragonflies, too) here. I have a number of the flowers mentioned in this thread, but the two things that drew bees in unbelievable numbers this year were the holly tree when it flowered, and the blueberries. They'll stick around, though - I have marguerite, agastache, monarda and others.

Batchelor buttons, Penstemon and Bennings Green Tint Squash. All have attracted many bees to my garden on a regular basis.

Mary

interesting note: i looked up golden marguerite since the suggestion that it attracted the most beneficials. it is a non-native plant! i did not know this. i thought native since it was so attractive to the good bugs. isn't this unusual for a non-native?

Actually, toadmother, I suspect if a flower attracts a wide variety of insects in its native habitat, that probably means it's attractive to insects in general, so it's likely to do well elsewhere also. On the other hand, if a flower attracts only one specific type of insect at home, it may be a total bust elsewhere. Just my guess.

BTW, for those who are familiar with only one name or the other, golden marguerite = Anthemis tinctoria, so several of the above posts are about the same flower.

And in reply to newboy's original question (though he may no longer be quite so new!), if you truly want or need to limit yourself to 3 flowers, your best bets are probably annuals. If you start them early (or buy them as plants), many of them will bloom just about all season, and as Organic Johnny says above, it's important to have something blooming all the time. Some of the best annuals for bennies have already been mentioned: Sweet Alyssum, Bachelor Buttons (aka Cornflower), and Borage.