Make it summer all year round with the best bee-inspired décor and garden accessories to brighten up your outdoor space. Bee lovers rejoice because we've got the perfect picks to inject some happiness into your garden. Decorative elements such as bunting, wind chimes, and wall art featuring bee designs can add a whimsical touch to your garden.
Bees have an important part to play in maintaining our planet. We need them to pollinate the food that we need to survive. Bees are vital in maintaining the trees and flowers that provide habitats for lots of other wildlife. Planting bee-friendly plants and installing bee houses in your garden provide shelter for solitary bees. Purchase ready-made bee houses or make your own using hollow reeds or wood. Conversely, bees have also been buzzing their way into our homes – in the form of bee-inspired décor – by making an appearance on mugs, cushions, textiles, and even ceramics. Extend the theme outdoors with bee-themed sculptures, bee-friendly garden signs and bee-inspired planting.
Best bee-inspired décor at a glance
• Best bee-inspired cushion: Wylder Nature House Of Bloom Zinnia Bee Outdoor Cushion – View on Dunelm
• Best bee-inspired glassware: Bee Stemmed Glass – View on Kew
• Best bee-inspired rustic decoration: Rusted Metal Bee Garden Wall Art Bumblebee Decoration – View on Not on the High Street
You could make a bee-spotter's seating area that's a comfy place to relax and observe the pollinators at work. Incorporate bee-themed cushions or tablecloths to tie in with the theme. Nature-inspired décor is a trend and not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space, it can also contribute to the survival of these important pollinators. Choose soft, amber-coloured outdoor lighting to reduce the harm caused by bees getting disorientated by bright lights at night. Have a small, shallow water feature to give wildlife a little watering spot. Finally, incorporate bold colours, such as purple, blue and yellow, on your garden furniture, pots and outdoor decorations to attract bees.
Best bee-inspired décor
Best bee-inspired cushion
www.dunelm.com
This lovely and very affordable cushion is UV and water-resistant and suitable for outdoor and indoor use. It features a beautiful hand-painted design on the front on a vivid navy background with bright pink on the reverse.
Customer review: "Beautiful cushion, very comfortable, well made and complements my garden furniture."
Pros
- Water-resistant
- Bright and colourful
Cons
- Will need to bring it inside in bad weather
Best bee-inspired glassware
shop.kew.org
Another item suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, this Bee Stemmed Glass is nice and durable as they are made out of thick glass, making them less fragile for outdoor dining. Perfect for a summer barbecue or as a special gift for a bee lover, these come from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens so have been inspired by the very best of gardens.
Pros
- Chunky and durable
- Matching glassware available
Cons
- A little heavy
Best bee-inspired rustic decoration
www.notonthehighstreet.com
This rustic and chic metal sculpture is the perfect way to add a bit of rustic appeal to your outdoor or indoor space. It will also reflect the environment it is in and will age over time, so you can pop it anywhere and not have to worry about it. Customise the size and finish to fill that spot on your garden wall.
Pros
- Makes a thoughtful gift
- Low maintenance
Cons
- No reviews
Best bee-inspired wind chime
The tinkle of windchimes helps create a calm oasis in your garden and this bee and honeycomb wind chime will make a great gift for a bee lover. Made from sturdy yet lightweight aluminium, this YMXBL Bee Wind Chimes Decoration has four tubes and six bells. It's large and has a beautiful honey-copper hue. Do bear in mind that this product from the US.
Customer review: "I love this outdoor bee chimer. It looks beautiful hand on my porch. It is a big chime. the sounds are great. I recommend to buy.
Pros
- Unusual
- Soothing sound
Cons
- Quite large and audible
Best bee-inspired metal decoration
These metal bumble bees are a fun and colourful addition to your garden and can be attached to pretty much anything. Put on your garden fence, your wall, or the side of your shed for friendly buzzy bees that'll stay in place all year round.
Customer review: "Absolutely love them. Bought them with butterflies and have arranged them all on the fence. Really brightened it up. Very well made and wings and feelers can be moved."
Pros
- Easily attached and can be moved around easily
- Great value for money
- Sturdy in all weathers
Cons
- Bigger than some reviewers expected
Best bee-inspired pots
oldrailwaylinegc.co.uk
These lovely bee pots are linked to the charity Bumble Bee Conservation Trust so every time you buy them you are helping them out with a contribution from each pot going towards them. We especially love the classy appeal of these plant pots that are frost-proof too, so they can brighten your garden all-year-round.
Pros
- Frostproof
- Made in Britain
Cons
- No reviews
Best bee-inspired seat cushions
www.sophieallport.com
Make your garden chairs ultra comfortable with these cute bee chair pads. They can be used as kitchen chair pads, dining booster cushions, and garden seat cushions – just make sure not to leave them outside as they're not waterproof. Other items are available to match too, including placemats and a table runner, for an outdoor dining table that's fit for a Queen Bee.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Pretty pattern
- Matching items available
Cons
- Not waterproof
Best bee-inspired solar lantern
www.manomano.co.uk
This LED solar-powered lantern will help light up any space. This 19cm Solar Power Hanging Bee Silhouette LED Lantern has a warm LED light that shines through intricate cut out bee silhouettes. The lantern charges throughout the day via an integrated solar panel. When it gets dusky, a sensor automatically switches the lantern on. With the bee shapes cut out, you'll have golden bees lighting up your outdoor coffee table or patio.
Pros
- Lovely gift
- Good quality
- Solar
Cons
- No customer reviews
Quick and easy ways to give your garden a makeover
As well as buying the best accessories – including bee-inspired décor – to bring some fun and colour to your garden, there are some other things you can do to help refresh any tired items you already own and make them look good as new.
• A lick of paint can make all the difference! If you've got some old terracotta plant pots, you can paint them with bright colours, repaint your existing furniture to make it feel brand new.
• Upcycle some old pieces into something new. We love these rustic rope shelves that you can make from an old pallet, or try making your own garden wall bar using old wood from past DIY projects.
• Get to work on your garden borders or patio, removing any weeds or unwanted moss. If you have a pressure washer too, a quick blitz of this will be so rewarding.
• If you want to invite wildlife into your garden and hear those bird songs loud and clear, we'd recommend getting a bird feeder to feel that bit closer to nature.
• Got a full house and plenty of kids' toys lying around in the garden to prove it? You can easily make your garden more appealing to lounge in by simply buying or building a storage unit to store it neatly away. If it's built sturdy enough, you could even paint it and put some cushion on top to make for a cute garden ottoman and extra seating.
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Hannah Mellin is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Modern Gardens, A Modern Kitchen, Yours and Take A Break. She has been working in the Journalism industry for over a decade and has written for an array of brands including John Lewis, Daily Mirror and Grazia. When she's not writing, researching or testing products, she's renovating her Victorian terrace and chilling in the garden with her sausage dog Waffle.