HIVE MIND

With spring emerging now is a great time to think about adding some bee-friendly plants to your garden

- Leigh Clapp

As we all know bees are vital for plant pollination and it is estimated that 80 per cent of the western diet is dependent on bee pollination, so it is important that we do what we can to help their health and survival.

The prime reason for the waning bee population is the parasitic varroa mite but we can do our bit to help by adding nectar and pollen-rich flowers to increase the population and the inventory of flower-rich habitat in their area. In return an abundance of pollinators will ensure our garden plants and crops continue to flourish.

There are lots of things we can keep in mind to be bee-friendly. Bees focus their pollen-collecting in the area local to their hive, returning to the same source until it is depleted. It is important to plan for a succession of choices from early spring to late autumn, and winter choices can also be beneficial.

Adding the right plants to attract bees is easy once you gain some understanding of what they need. Think simple long-flowering, single open flowers, old-fashioned cottage plants and native choices for their food, water to drink and habitats for shelter. Aim for long, successional blooming rather than short, seasonal bursts of flowers. Bees need high-quality food and variety to be healthy, just like us. You may even like to keep honey bees yourself or allow a beekeeper to place hives in your garden.