How to Make a Bee-friendly Garden
Bees are essential to our environment and planet. They pollinate our plants, help maintain the natural balance and even provide us with honey and beeswax, which can be used for all manner of things such as our beeswax wraps.
Bees can help increase local crop yields and and variety while providing a beautiful buzz amongst your flowers. If you are growing any plants or veggies yourself - you need the bees! Inviting bees into your garden also helps protect our fragile ecosystem by turning the tide on habitat loss and helping to support honey bees amongst many other species of bees.
It's estimated that bees are responsible for pollinating 75% of the world's flowering plants - thats quite a responsibility and they need our help to protect them. We wont get far without them, especially as that includes nearly all of our fruits, vegetables and nuts!
That’s why the whole team here at Everyday Green and Green Tulip love bees, and why we’re all getting involved in this year’s ‘No Mow May’.
But what else can you do in your garden to help bees? Here’s 5 easy tips to make bee friendly garden:
- Plant bee friendly flowers, shrubs and trees - native flowering plants with nectar and pollen are essential. Flowering from March to September is ideal for the bees.
- Relax your weeding! Many of the 'weeds' like dandelions, clover and daisies are some of the earliest flowering plants - just when the bees need the extra!
- Avoid using pesticides. Many of the leading brands of weedkillers contain ingredients which kill bees. They also kill the very plants that bees need. If you need to use them, we recommend researching 'Bee friendly natural pesticides' for solutions that are safe for bees and safe for your garden.
- Make habitats for bees - either a bee hotel or a wild area with long grass, logs and untended shrubs. Your bee hotel will be home to the larvae and will need to be dry and kept in the sun. Follow these simple instructions from Gardeners' World 🐝
- Provide a source of water. Bees are thirsty! Try a shallow tray with a few rocks in it and keep it topped up with fresh water.
For more advice on helping bees season by season, find out how to make your garden bee-friendly in spring, summer, autumn and winter from Gardeners' World.
Shopping for a bee-lover in your life - or maybe even buying yourself something nice? Look no further; our sister website Green Tulip has 8 amazing gift ideas just perfect for the bee enthusiasts.
As well as an entire gift collection dedicated to the love of bees 🐝
Lastly - what is the best way to help a bee in distress?
Last year I found a bee in a shed that was exhausted. I moved the bee into the sun, and mixed up some agave nectar (white sugar with water will also do) with water and put it on a spoon next to the bee. Here's a delightful photo showing how the bee recovered enough strength to fly away. It was a great sensation to be able to help this little insect that is so important to us!
Happy 'No Mow May' and keep a look out for World Bee Day on 20th May 🐝
Kate
