Urgency to save bees.

[Jane Jackson]

When you hear people talking about the demise of bees,butterflies and birds, do you take it seriously?
We must, it takes very little to encourage these precious creatures into our gardens, you don't have to think big, or planting a wildflower meadow.
Just buy a packet of seeds such as Nigella or cornflowers and scatter them in your borders.They are easy to grow.
Plants like foxgloves are great as they are like a tower block for feeding insects, bees can happily buzz up and down the same stem for ages.
Ok, so why is it important?
If we don't have pollinating insects, flowers will have to be pollenated by hand, at huge cost.
Why do we need to pollinate?
If this magic doesn't happen, certainly 5 a day will not happen,many ,many foods we now eat will no longer be available.
So no more, apples, pears, strawberries,fruit in general,coffee,chocolate (yes they need to be pollinated) marmalade, jam,the list just goes on.
All we would be left with would be wind blown and self pollinating foods.
Next time you go to but your weeks shopping take a close look and see if it has ingredients in them that need pollinating.
In my area we have a huge space called the Downs, and for the last few years the council only cut the grass in the Summer around the edge, to allow the grass and wild flowers to grow and seed, every council should be doing the same.
Even just a small area in a park could be left to go wild.
There is a programme tonight on TV with Sarah Raven, called Bees, Butterflies and Blooms
worth a watch.
Jane

[delphina]

When we livec in cumbria we had two hives which was lo ely,so Jane I know shere you are coming ffom. In the garden here we have bumble bee boxes in the garden. Yester day at my daughter's , in her conservatory the most enormous bumble bee. Have you wat ched the Botany prog.on bbc very good, also prog. Tonight about subje t of your mail..
on our allotment we have community hives.

Delphina

[Jane Jackson]

I really hope you have been watching the programme, Bees,birds and blooms, it is a great programme.
It holds a lesson for us all to encourage us to plant flowers for pollinating and nectar loving insects, its so easy and vital, or the foods we are so used to will just disappear.
I will write on my next blog about how we can all join in this campaign.
Jane

[oldfashionedgranny]

All very well said, Jane. My grandad had 10 beehives and we always had lots of honey. Every garden I've had, I've planted lots of stuff to encourage bees and butterflies. We only have a tiny back garden now, but it's crammed - roses, honeysuckle, buddleia, syringa, valerian, you name it. Last summer every time I opened the back door first thing in the morning, I was deafened by buzzing - and got some good pics of a couple of hummingbird hawkmoths that were regular visitors.

[Jane Jackson]

OFG, how lovely.
Jane

[GrannyHaggis]

Son's friend has started keeping bees and hopefully will be supplying lots of honey,beeswax,lip balm this year. Poor girl has had to be de-sensitised to them after reacting very badly to stings last year.
GrannyHaggis

[Jane Jackson]

Ooo a bee hive, now that's a thought!
Jane

[jeangenie]

Jane - I'm determined to do any planting in the garden from now on with habitat and food for wildlife in mind. I've got a space to fill (small tree/large shrub with underplanting), but don't know what to put in. I'd like to provide bird roosting options and feed pollinating insects too, if possible. The space is against an east facing fence, but it quite sheltered.

But - and it a huge one - the ground is riddled with a neighbour's tree roots and is rock solid 100% pure clay. I could build up the area with a deep mulch, but anything putting down deep roots is going to face fierce opposition. Do you have any suggestions, please? Our climate is mild (sheltered by the Isle of Wight so we miss most of the snow).

Jean

[Jane Jackson]

Originally Posted by jeangenie

Jane - I'm determined to do any planting in the garden from now on with habitat and food for wildlife in mind. I've got a space to fill (small tree/large shrub with underplanting), but don't know what to put in. I'd like to provide bird roosting options and feed pollinating insects too, if possible. The space is against an east facing fence, but it quite sheltered.

But - and it a huge one - the ground is riddled with a neighbour's tree roots and is rock solid 100% pure clay. I could build up the area with a deep mulch, but anything putting down deep roots is going to face fierce opposition. Do you have any suggestions, please? Our climate is mild (sheltered by the Isle of Wight so we miss most of the snow).

Jean

Oh Jean,
Tricky one.
Firstly, pollen loving plants need sun, not quite clear if you are wanting to plant under a small tree /large shrub or you want a small tree/large shrub?
As you say as far as the clay is concerned, it doesn't happen over night to change it, needs plenty of compost to break it down.
The tree roots are indeed an problem, what sort of tree have they got?
Jane

[jeangenie]

Jane, I want to plant a small tree or a large shrub, and then plant underneath (in case of tree) or in front of it if it's a bush and has branches at ground level.

The neighbours trees are some kind of maples mainly - and have been allowed to grow to bedroom window height and taller. The new owners are gradually thinning and lowering them. They've taken out several huge conifers, but the roots are still there. It's impossible to get a spade in the ground, but elsewhere in the border I've managed to clear big enough planting holes for 3 apple trees on dwarfing roof stocks and a few shrubs. Now there is less competition for light they are doing better, which gives me hope for this area - about 10' x 6'. In the summer they will get some sun from mid-day to late afternoon, I think. It's hard to tell what effect the neighgour's thinning of his trees will have during the winter when the sun is too low for most of the day and gts lost behind the houses.

I don't want just to plant any old thing there - I want it to be beneficial for wildlife.

Jean