How To Help Declining Bee Populations

Lessons from the Royal Horticultural Society on how to help declining bee populations

- Katharina Hutchings

Listen carefully on a summer’s day and hedgerows, flower beds, lawns and window boxes are abuzz with insect activity. And even during the autumn and winter, hardworking bees and other pollinators can be found preparing for busier, warmer times.

These little insects have a big impact – pollinators are vital for life on earth. Everything from ornamental gardens to crop production depends on them and the role they play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

But, unfortunately, pollinator numbers are declining; habitat loss means food and shelter is harder to come by and the use of pesticides can be poisonous to beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies as well as decimating their food sources.

At RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science, RHS Garden Wisley’s first-ever dedicated wildlife garden, the aim is to provide a sanctuary for these vital creatures and encourage visitors to put nature at the heart of their own gardens. Opening on 24 June 2021 after a delay due COVID-19, RHS Hilltop is the UK’s first dedicated horticultural scientific centre of excellence, protecting the future of plants, people and the planet.

The Wildlife Garden at RHS Hilltop was designed by Ann-Marie Powell, an RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal winner, and is inspired by the shape of a bee’s wing. The garden is divided into segments, like a wing, and visitors are welcome to stroll through and see how the planting of each segment might work in their own gardens, helping everyone plant a garden that allows pollinators to thrive.