Inside Jordans

Make Your Garden Bee-Friendly

Posted by Rachel Marston 17 Feb 2009 12:34pm

We have some big bee news coming very soon, make sure you sign up to our newsletter to find out more. You have probably seen in the news that bees are having a difficult time so the more bee friendly plants you have in your garden the better.

Bees depend on flowers for food so the best way to attract bees into your garden is to give them the right plants, or habitat. There are many different species of bee in the UK, needing different plants to survive, so the wider the range of plants you grow, the more bees you will attract. Bees also need water so a bird bath is a good idea for bees, and birds of course. Bees also need a place to live, unless they are a honeybee and have a hive to return to. In the wild many bees nest in a hollow tree or even a cave to shelter from wind and rain. Though your garden might be short of caves there are other places bees like to shelter. Bumblebees will build nests under shed floors and decking whereas solitary bees will nest in a hole in wood or the ground. Dead wood, stems and leaf litter along with physical structures such as earth banks, fences and old walls are also important nesting habitat for bees.

Other plants attractive to bees include sweet peas, dead nettles, mints, herbs like sage, levender or rosemary, heathers and native fruit trees like apples and pears. You might have some of these plants already in your garden but if you can spare the time and space to put in a few more bee-friendly plants the bees will be happier.

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