For the good of your health, your yard, and
the planet, you should strongly consider starting a garden that caters to the
world’s best pollinators, the bees. Beginning a garden may sound intimidating,
but it’s pretty simple if you go in with a plan and a little bit of know-how.
Here are some essential tips for making sure your first garden will be a place
that bees will love.
Make
use of the space you have
Not everyone has the yard space to plant a
giant bee garden. Some live in smaller homes with smaller plots - especially
city-dwellers. There are plenty of ways to make use of the space you have,
however. Plant flowers in planters, pots, hanging baskets, window boxes, and up
walls (flowering vines). Stack planters if you can, as you’re likely to have more
space vertically than horizontally. For more tips on how to make use of a small
garden space, check here.
Know
when flowers bloom and plant smart
Those new to gardening may not know that
plants don’t bloom all year and that most plants have specific times of the
year that they’re in bloom. Primrose, for instance, will bloom in early spring
and then be done for the year. A black-eyed susan, on the other hand, won’t
bloom until the end of summer. You want to know the blooming schedules of
common flowers so that you can plant smartly. Always have at least some flowers
in bloom in your garden, so that bees will always have a place to stop and
collect pollen & nectar. Here’s a nice bloom schedule guide to get you
started.
Think
about the bees’ preferences
Sure, you want your garden to contain the
flowers you think are pretty or the fruits and vegetables that you want to eat,
but if you’re truly doing this for the bees then you need to think about their
preferences when it comes to plants. There are three characteristics that bees
love when it comes to flowers. First, while honeybees are attracted to a
variety of plants, other types of bees go crazy for native plants (plants local
to their specific area). Next, bees love fragrant, colorful flowers. Blues,
purples, and whites are among their favorites. Finally, bees like flowers that
are easily accessible, so the more complex the petal/interior structure, the
worse they are for bees. Here’s a good place to start when picking
plants bees are known to love.
Why
should I start a bee-friendly garden?
So you’re armed with some tips, now why should
you do the work? Beyond the numerous mental and physical health benefits of
taking up gardening as a hobby, doing what you can to help your local bee
population is one of the most environmentally-friendly actions you can
undertake. Bees, as our most important animal pollinators, have a hand in
pollinating at least one out of every three bites of food you consume. At least
70% of the top crops, globally, depends on bees at least in some part. Bees are
in danger, as habitat destruction, pesticide
use, and food shortages due to climate change have reduced their populations
globally.
Starting a garden in your own backyard may not
be easy (it takes time, know-how, and some physical labor) but it’s an
investment that is worth the effort. Growing plants from seed, bulb, or nursing
adult plants to greater health is a great way to teach you and your kids about
life, produce beautiful flowers, grow healthy food, and protect one of our greatest
natural allies - the bees.
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| Honey Bee on Fuschia bush. Did you know: The vast majority of Fuchsia are native to Central and South America with a small number found in New Zealand, Tahiti and on Hispaniola. |
