As gardeners, we want to see as much beneficial wildlife in our outdoor space as possible – and bees provide us not only with the feelings of a healthy garden, but also hopefully we have more chances of a good harvest of edibles thanks to his presence. .
In the race to World Bee Day (May 20), an initiative to raise awareness of the essential role that bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, there are a few simple things you can do to encourage them in your garden
Plant bee friendly flowers
There are over 270 species of bees in Ireland and the UK and good planting is essential to get different types in your garden. Bees, for example, have a short tongue, so they can access flowers that are open, such as those types of daisy from the aster family, as well as alliums, clovers and herbs including marjoram.
Bumblebees have longer tongues and like plants like foxgloves, honeysuckle, bluebells, borage, aquilegia and lavender.
Umbelliferous plants that have an umbrella with a mass of floral units with short flowers, including late flowering sedum, Astrantia, various angelicas and Cenolophium denudatum are also a magnet for bees.
For a list of pollinator-friendly plants and download their pollinator-friendly plants list, visit rhs.org.uk.
Think about what to plant in containers
If you go for the brightly colored beds found in garden centers and DIY stores, such as pelargonium, busy lizzies, pansies and petunias, you can’t do much for your bees, such as selective breeding extensive resulted in some flowers losing nectar. You can make bee friendly containers with many other plants.
There are a range of Cosmos Apollo with shorter stems that look great in containers, such as vibrant yellow dwarf rudbeckias, while single dahlias (which have flowers that are easier for bees to access than the pom varieties pom or ball) also have a colorful punch.
Herbs can also create an abundance of color and fragrance that will be a magnet for bees. Lavender, borage, sage, thyme and rosemary provide beautiful flowers, add flavor to your kitchen and keep the bees happy.
Bulbs can also do their bit, so think ahead because you need to plant spring flowers in autumn. Then, in late winter and early spring, the bees go crazy for the initial nectar and pollen from crocuses, winter aconites and irises, when most of the garden will come to a life
Avoid double varieties
Go for open flower types, such as daisy flowers, because with double varieties some of the pollen and nectar has been lost as more petals have been established.
Some plants that have been highly hybridized to produce more blues, larger flowers have in the process prevented the bees from accessing the nectar or pollen, if there is a pollen because some sterile hybrids do not produce.
Keep the bees happy in the fall and winter
While ivy can be seen as a bugbear to some gardeners, it is manna from heaven for bees, with its nectar-rich flowers in autumn. Single-flowered hellebores, with their beautiful, nodding flowers, provide much-needed nectar in winter, as do winter clematis, bright yellow scented mahonia flowers, and willows, whose catkins provide plenty of pollen for the bee
Leave some weeds
While many gardeners still dig up all visible weeds, there is a growing movement to leave some in grass or flowers as a great source of pollen and nectar. Top nectar producers include dandelion and ragwort. Leaving clovers in the lawn also benefits bees.
Provide access to water
If you have a pond in your garden or a plate on your balcony, make sure that the bees can get in and out easily, because they cannot swim and they will drown. Put some stones or pebbles in strategic positions so that they can easily access the water and can also get out.
Do not use chemicals
Avoid chemicals at all costs, even if aphids are rampant. Usually, you can just spray it with soapy water or, with a pair of gloves, run your fingers into the stems where you see them to hold them to the ground. Pesticides can be deadly for bees that feed on sprayed plants.
Consider it a wild piece
The ‘wild’ debate continues, but if you have space, just leave a patch in the back of the garden to do its thing – weeds, wildflowers and long grass will provide food and shelter for the bees.
Provide shelter
Solitary bees need ideal nesting sites to lay their eggs, and are attracted to holes in wood, so you can buy a bee house or make your own from hollow bamboo canes tied with string and inserted into a safe frame. All adults usually die before winter, the females leaving their eggs sealed in a nest in a cavity or burrow, provided with food stores of pollen and nectar.
Bees are the only bee species in the UK that survive the winter as a colony, whereas with bumblebees, only the queen survives the winter.
Queen bumblebees hibernate underground in loose soil or dirt banks, burrowing in soft soil or under logs and stones to escape the cold. So, don’t be too polite. Leave piles of twigs and branches where they are as easy shelters for hibernation.
Become a beekeeper
There is a growing interest in beekeeping, but if you are a beginner, you are looking for advice to understand the safety and basic knowledge of beekeeping. You can take an online course or contact one of more than 270 beekeeping associations that serve their local community with support and education. For details of beekeeping experiences and training courses, visit the Irish Beekeepers Association.
