It’s no secret that the bee population in the UK has been in decline for several years. Luckily, there are some simple things you can do to attract bees and other pollinators to your garden.
You might be wondering: why would you want to attract bees to your garden? Aside from the cheerful sight and sound of buzzing bees busy at work, bees also do an incredibly important job. Bees play a vital part in the production of nearly a third of all the food we eat.
A huge number of the crops grown for human consumption rely on bees to pollinate them. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, plants such as rapeseed and sunflowers that are turned into cooking oil – all these and more rely on bees to pollinate them to increase their yields and quality.
You can easily give these important pollinators a helping hand by making your garden a bee haven. Your garden doesn’t need to be large to attract bees, it just needs to be inviting.
1. Plant wildflowers and diverse, native plants
Bees move from flower to flower, collecting pollen and nectar, pollinating as they go. They favour native plants that have evolved alongside them, like wildflowers. These can easily be sown by scattering a Somerlap Beebomb, handmade in Dorset and sure to help your garden bloom.
Many common plants which are easy to source and grow are ideal for bees – here’s a few that are sure to get your garden buzzing:
- Lavender
- Foxgloves
- Honeysuckle
- Bluebells
- Daisies
- Rosemary
- Sunflowers
- Thyme
To attract bees to your garden, you’ll need to ensure you have as many bee-friendly plants as possible – ideally those that flower all year round.
2. Avoid using pesticides
Pesticides and insecticides are very harmful to bees – some common insecticides can kill bees altogether.
If you want to create a healthy garden, use tried and tested traditional gardening methods instead of pesticides. Planting a variety of different plant species that are well-watered in fertile soil promotes growth. In time, you will have healthy plants that naturally have more resistance to insects and pests – without the use of pesticides.
3. Create a home for bees
Making your garden into a home for bees ensures they will stick around and pollenate your plants for ages to come. You can purchase a bee house or create your own using long, hollow objects – like bamboo sticks. Bee houses should be put up in a south-facing corner of your garden to entice bees to stay.
It’s also a good idea to create a place where bees can drink – as, like all living things, bees need water to keep going. Adding pebbles or marbles to small, water-filled bowls will give busy bees a safe spot to hydrate without the danger of drowning.
Somerlap can help you transform your garden into a beautiful bee haven
It’s no secret that gardening is good for us – but creating a garden sanctuary that helps bees to their important work is best of all.
Contact us today for advice on where to get started, or pay a visit to our Somerset site and explore our range of beautiful gardening products – and more.
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