Let's Get Sustainable: Bee-Friendly Gardens
It's hard to grow fruit and vegies without these tiny, hardworking insects. So what can we do to help them back?
The huge reduction in bee numbers is causing alarm throughout the world. Experts point to a number of reasons for the collapse of so many bee colonies, some of the main culprits being the Varroa mite and other diseases. Other factors are increased use of pesticides harmful to bees, and a lack of flowers to produce the nectar bees need to feed themselves, and the rest of the family back in the hive.
Home gardeners are not planting as many flowering plants, and wildflowers are not as prolific as they once were. Without bees, a large percentage (some say 90 per cent) of the fruit and vegetables we consume in the world would not be pollinated. But we don’t have to sit back and just let this happen. There are many steps we can take in our own gardens to provide food, water and refuge for bees and other pollinators.
Home gardeners are not planting as many flowering plants, and wildflowers are not as prolific as they once were. Without bees, a large percentage (some say 90 per cent) of the fruit and vegetables we consume in the world would not be pollinated. But we don’t have to sit back and just let this happen. There are many steps we can take in our own gardens to provide food, water and refuge for bees and other pollinators.
Focus on nectar- and pollen-rich flowers
Some flowers have evolved to be pollinated by bees, particularly many herbs such as sage, thyme, nepeta and lavender. Blooms with open petals in a single row and upright stamens, such as sunflowers, dahlias, daisies and cosmos, make access easy for foraging bees. Bees are also attracted to certain colours, yellow being one of their favourites, along with blue, purple, violet and white.
See more gardens of all shapes and styles
Some flowers have evolved to be pollinated by bees, particularly many herbs such as sage, thyme, nepeta and lavender. Blooms with open petals in a single row and upright stamens, such as sunflowers, dahlias, daisies and cosmos, make access easy for foraging bees. Bees are also attracted to certain colours, yellow being one of their favourites, along with blue, purple, violet and white.
See more gardens of all shapes and styles
Plant in big groups
Grow large clumps of pollen-rich Salvia in your garden and you’ll be amazed at how many bees will visit the flowers. Rather than ‘dotting’ flowers around the garden, plant them in large sweeps or clumps to make the blooms easily identifiable to bees. It also looks much more interesting.
Grow large clumps of pollen-rich Salvia in your garden and you’ll be amazed at how many bees will visit the flowers. Rather than ‘dotting’ flowers around the garden, plant them in large sweeps or clumps to make the blooms easily identifiable to bees. It also looks much more interesting.
Grow flowers in a variety of shapes
There isn’t one shape that fits all when it comes to bees. There are actually many different species, all varying in size and tongue length. It’s best therefore to provide variation in food sources (i.e. flower shapes) to cater for a range of different bee species.
There isn’t one shape that fits all when it comes to bees. There are actually many different species, all varying in size and tongue length. It’s best therefore to provide variation in food sources (i.e. flower shapes) to cater for a range of different bee species.
Grow wildflowers
Create a wildflower meadow if you have the space or plant them along the roadside. Perhaps you might even think about replacing the lawn with a wildflower meadow. Or keeping the grass long in places, so pollen-producing weeds such as dandelion and clover can flower and provide vital food for foraging bees. At the very least, mow your lawn less often to give those bee-friendly lawn weeds a chance to flower.
9 Ways to Create a More Sustainable Garden
Create a wildflower meadow if you have the space or plant them along the roadside. Perhaps you might even think about replacing the lawn with a wildflower meadow. Or keeping the grass long in places, so pollen-producing weeds such as dandelion and clover can flower and provide vital food for foraging bees. At the very least, mow your lawn less often to give those bee-friendly lawn weeds a chance to flower.
9 Ways to Create a More Sustainable Garden
Keep some weeds
Telling gardeners not to remove weeds, particularly those in flower, would once have been considered heresy. But with nectar-producing flowers in such short supply, weeds have become an important food source for foraging bees. If the bees are regularly visiting weeds growing on your berm, or at the back of the garden, try to resist getting the spade out. This cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is considered a weed in many places, but is a great bee attractant and often planted in orchards.
Telling gardeners not to remove weeds, particularly those in flower, would once have been considered heresy. But with nectar-producing flowers in such short supply, weeds have become an important food source for foraging bees. If the bees are regularly visiting weeds growing on your berm, or at the back of the garden, try to resist getting the spade out. This cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is considered a weed in many places, but is a great bee attractant and often planted in orchards.
Plant trees
To make foraging more efficient for bees it makes sense to have a large amount of flowers in one place. Trees and large shrubs are therefore an important food source for hungry bees. Try to plant species that flower in late winter and early spring when there’s not a lot of other food around for bees.
To make foraging more efficient for bees it makes sense to have a large amount of flowers in one place. Trees and large shrubs are therefore an important food source for hungry bees. Try to plant species that flower in late winter and early spring when there’s not a lot of other food around for bees.
Especially fruit trees
Fruit trees are rich in nectar, particularly many pip fruit trees such as nectarines, apricots, plums and pears as well as citrus species like lemon, grapefruit and oranges. But not all fruit tree cultivars are alike in the bee world. If you’re planning to grow fruit trees in your garden, make sure you choose those that are most attractive to honeybees – heritage varieties for instance and those with single, not double, flowers.
Spotted! Delightful and Space-Saving Espaliered Fruit Trees
Fruit trees are rich in nectar, particularly many pip fruit trees such as nectarines, apricots, plums and pears as well as citrus species like lemon, grapefruit and oranges. But not all fruit tree cultivars are alike in the bee world. If you’re planning to grow fruit trees in your garden, make sure you choose those that are most attractive to honeybees – heritage varieties for instance and those with single, not double, flowers.
Spotted! Delightful and Space-Saving Espaliered Fruit Trees
Give them a home
Despite our perceptions of bees being sociable creatures, mainly living in hives, the reality is that a large percentage of the bee population are very much the opposite. These are called solitary bees and they mainly nest in holes or tunnels in the ground or hollow branches. Most of the native bees in Australia and New Zealand are solitary, ground-nesting bees. To attract these bees to your garden, consider making them a hotel like this one, or invest in a ready-made model.
Despite our perceptions of bees being sociable creatures, mainly living in hives, the reality is that a large percentage of the bee population are very much the opposite. These are called solitary bees and they mainly nest in holes or tunnels in the ground or hollow branches. Most of the native bees in Australia and New Zealand are solitary, ground-nesting bees. To attract these bees to your garden, consider making them a hotel like this one, or invest in a ready-made model.
Eliminate pesticide use
Most pesticides are designed to kill insects – any insect, including beneficial ones like bees. If you must use them, only spray when bees are not active. And check the label, some pesticides are way more harmful to bees than others.
In an ideal bee world, gardeners would buy organic, pesticide-free plants, seeds and bulbs, and grow them without using insecticides.
Most pesticides are designed to kill insects – any insect, including beneficial ones like bees. If you must use them, only spray when bees are not active. And check the label, some pesticides are way more harmful to bees than others.
In an ideal bee world, gardeners would buy organic, pesticide-free plants, seeds and bulbs, and grow them without using insecticides.
Give them water
Bees usually collect water in the form of dew from leaves, but sometimes in dry periods they’ll look for it elsewhere in the garden. Creating a shallow pond where bees can land on the edges to collect water is a good idea. Or install a water feature that has a shallow area. If you have a water bowl fill it with glass beads, pebbles or marbles so bees can drink without drowning.
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Bees usually collect water in the form of dew from leaves, but sometimes in dry periods they’ll look for it elsewhere in the garden. Creating a shallow pond where bees can land on the edges to collect water is a good idea. Or install a water feature that has a shallow area. If you have a water bowl fill it with glass beads, pebbles or marbles so bees can drink without drowning.
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Try to make sure there are plenty of nectar-rich flowers in the garden for as long as possible throughout the year, not just spring and summer. These asters will flower in autumn and early winter in many areas, as do dahlias, echinacea and sedum. Winter-flowering nectar-producing plants include red hot poker, Leucospermum and Protea species, as well as many New Zealand natives such as rata, five finger (Pseudopanax arboreus), tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) and wharangi (Brachyglottis repanda).