I have also tried to grow plants that attract pollinators. I have many of the same plants that you have. When I first started to do that about 7 years ago, I was doing just what you are doing...except I didn't have the time to actually identify the insects. I love Bumble Bees, HoneyBees and those Hover Bees. Not so crazy about Yellow Jackets. I have one full sun bed that has been the most successful that started out about 12x12 and is now about 18x18ft. I remember one year, when I had a lot of wasps. I am not usually squeamish about bugs in the garden, especially bees but the wasps were so numerous at one point and large with orange markings, that they did freak me out and I had to keep my distance for a week or so. I don't remember what I was growing at the time, but I haven't seen those particular wasps since that one season.

I like to attract the little tiny bees and pollinators that are so small you can hardly see them. They are all over my alyssum and thyme right now. Parsley and Marjoram is just about to open and they have those tiny flowers that attract them. I have Mondarda 'Raspberry Wine' for the first time this year and it's just about to open. I have a few Agastaches, Russian Sage and Lavender.

At this point, I am not focusing on attracting pollinators, because I originally chose plants that attract them. But now I am trying to have something in bloom all the time from early spring to late fall for them. I also have tried to choose native shrubs that I have noticed really draw them too. The Itea shrub has tons of flowers and was covered with Bumble Bees about 3 weeks ago.

I did want to provide housing for the native bees, but my first attempt didn't bring them in. I don't seem to have the right placement for one. At some point I hope to try that again. I would also love to raise bees, but it's just not possible right now.

It is fascinating and I love the Hum of activity when everything is in bloom!

Out here in coastal Northern CA we have a problem that many gardeners would love to have. There are only seven Mediterranean climate zones in the world and we're one of them. As a result, we are offered a great many plants imported from South Africa and Australia. A few come from Chile and Central Asia but not many yet. So, some of my plants don't attract anything as their native pollinators aren't around.

I planned our garden for mostly evergreen plants/shrubs because out here it's important for the garden to look good year-round. Late fall is our planting season (winter rains coming) and spring starts in February. Rain stops completely by late May and won't start up again until mid-October.

The PO had given up gardening (old age) and the property was mostly weeds. Now, weeds can actually support a fair amount of pollinators, plus there are many old fruit/nut trees around the neighborhood. However, I wasn't thinking of pollinators and just planted for effect and drought-resistance.

The first summer I saw a fair number of bees - I'm not too good on the different types - as I had planted aptenia groundcover and a few rosebushes. Leafcutter bees love rose leaves, so I had quite a few scalloped leaves as they built nests. They must have found good rotting wood somewhere; I never saw any damage to my rose canes. Sadly, I've seen fewer of these excellent native pollinators over the last few years. Not sure why, our weather's been unusually erratic and mostly cooler than normal, which may have affected them. There's lots of rotting wood around (old sheds, fences, etc.) but wherever the leafcutters are, they aren't around my lot in any numbers now.

Many bees (at least four kinds) and a couple of smaller wasps (not yellowjackets, which I hate) buzz around the aptenia. They love those red blossoms! They also like the santolina, lavendar, lavatera, daylilies, agapanthus, and alstroemeria, all of which are in abundance on our property.

Hummers love the pink cestrum shrub which is almost never out of bloom. The small aggressive Rufous hummers have driven out the big friendly Anna hummers, which I regret.

I don't garden specifically for pollinators but for low maintenance and wildlife attraction. Calamintha nepeta fits both those criteria.
It IS a member of the mint family but I haven't found it to be at all rampant like some of its cousins. It likes sun and tolerates dry clay soil, grows about 12-16" tall and about 8" at its base in a very upright mound. Its tiny white flowers start in late June or early July for me. When it's in bloom, it fairly quivers with activity from those small pollinators; you can hear the hum from a little distance away! Add to that it's leaves have a wonderful refreshing, minty fragrance. The cultivars 'White Cloud' and 'Blue Cloud' tend to flop in my garden and the leaves smell more like soap than mint so I search for the straight species. Apparently there is a more compact cultivar called 'Montrose White' but it's not available to me locally.

Ispahan- Bumblebees seem to have dominance over the yellow jackets, in our garden. Where the bumblebees want to be...the yellow jackets give them leave :)

But, both seem to like the following plants (as well as the ones you already listed)

Butterfly bush (yellow jackets love this one!)
Catmint
Salvias of all kinds
Sunflowers (bumblebees get the flowers, yellow jackets get the stems LOL)
Roses...a few of the older, less full varieties, especially
Apple blossoms
Plum blossoms
Cosmos (especially when grown from seed...maybe a different variety?)
Coneflowers

Oh, and since we normally have fairly dry summers, we keep shallow birdbaths with some water in the bottom. Also, some shallow dishes on the ground, as bug baths. I read about this in Sally Jean Cunninham's book. The yellow jackets, especially, seem to calm right down, when they have water and some butterfly bushes, in late summer.

I second the Calamintha and the Nepeta. I have quite a bit of both because they grow well in my desert climate and they are always covered in bees and other pollinators. There is a bee keeper somewhere in my area so there are always lots of honey bees and the great big fat bumblebees. The Nepeta and Calamintha bloom for months and the Walker's Low catmint will not spread like some others do. Mine make a clump prob 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall and bloom from March thru frost.

Nothing, and I mean nothing in my garden attracts a more varied nor more numerous pollinators than Eryngium planum 'Blaukappe'. Every size and shape of pollinator comes to that plant in droves...or maybe that's swarms.

tj

Yes, I grow for pollinators! Hummingbirds, bees, wasps, hemaris thysbe, butterflies, etc.

Thyme in bloom is a favorite for honeybees.
St Johns Wort (hypericum x sunpat is my variety) is faved by bumble bees. They literally take a bath in the pollen, creating a frenzy!
Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' is by far the favorite for all pollinators.
Agastache 'Blue Fortune' and liatris are great for butterflies.
Joe Pye Weed and milkweed in bloom are loved by both butterflies and bees.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: what butterflies want (photos in my garden)

Jodi- That looks like a cottage garden, to me...and a beautiful one, too :)

Thanks for sharing a picture of your garden!

Thank you to all of you for your wonderful photos and input on this topic!

Because of your input and ideas, I have ordered a few more plants for late summer/fall planting that I hope will be established enough by next season to provide food for pollinators:

Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' (the perennial one)
Silphium perfoliatum
Hardy hibiscus (said to be attractive to both bees and hummers)
Echinops 'Blue Glow'
Solidago 'Fireworks' (I already have 'Little Lemon')
Calamintha nepeta
Nepeta 'Joanna Reed' (said to be sterile and constantly blooming, just like Six Hills Giant)
Aster 'Edo Murazaki'
Aster 'Raydon's Favorite' (to add to Bluebird, Fanny, and October Skies)
Vitex 'Abbeville Blue'
Agastache 'Blue Fortune' (I already have this but it can't hurt to add a couple more!)
Another Helenium 'Mardi Gras'

I am going to try to grow the Eryngium mentioned above by seed next year.

Thank you all again for the great observations and inspiration!

For the butterfly, do not forget mud pie in a tray. They love the mud pies for the minerals and the moisture.

If you're planning to order any seeds online, try Burpee - they include a free pollinator mix of seeds with your order. Read my blog about it here: https://thedistrictsprouts.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/surprise-from-burpee/

I just started planting flowers for pollinators this year, too too. Calamint seems to br a favorite to bumble bees, and today I spotted a black wasp on it