First and foremost

Plant early flowers for the first bumblebees, says Val

- Val Bourne

FEBRUARY is an exciting month for me. The garden is stirring once again and the early flowers really lift my spirits. Joy courses through my very being! However, early flowers are far more than window dressing for our native bumblebees – they’re lifesavers. So if your garden is short on spring flowers, now is the time to go in search of crocus, hellebores, pulmonarias, muscari and primroses. The flowers need to be simply shaped and easily accessible, because early flying bumblebees generally have shorter tongues.

You may have seen a queen bumblebee foraging in your garden already, because queens can fly once daytime temperatures get above 10°C/50°F. These hardy bees have furry coats and are able to rev up their flight muscles chemically. In fact, five species of bumblebee are found within the Arctic Circle. However, their furry coats, although useful insulation on a winter’s day, can make it difficult for them to fly in severe summer heat. I find they disappear from my garden until the weather cools down.