Is your garden looking a little bereft? Is there a silence where once there may have been a healthy humming of buzzing bees? Are you struggling to produce a decent crop of vegetables? It makes sense to bring the bees back.
Bees are the bee-all and end-all of thriving gardens. If it weren’t for them, our lives would be bereft of the beautiful scents we enjoy in our lives today. These hard-working little creatures pollinate up to 80% of all flowering plants in the world, steadily buzzing from one plant to the next collecting and spreading the pollen that is essential for plant survival.
Without bees, the world would look pretty grim. In the words of Barry B. Benson from The Bee Movie:
We’re the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers, and dress like this. If we’re going to survive as a species, this is our moment. So what do you all say? Are we going to be bees, or just Museum of Natural History key chains?
Bees cannot become Museum of Natural History key chains. Nope. We need them, more than many people realise. Here’s how you can do your bit in bringing the bees back into your garden.
1. Give bees what they want: pollen and nectar
Like any species, bees need food to survive. If you create a garden that is full of appetising pollen and nectar, then you are more likely to attract them. And, by attracting the bees, you are more likely to have a healthy, humming garden as the bees do some of the most crucial gardening work for you.
2. Choose the plants that bees love best
Did you know that bees prefer blue, purple and yellow flowers? Some flowers are tastier than others for native bees, and some colours are more attractive. The key is to ensure a steady, year-round supply of pollen and nectar for your bees, so aim for a variety of plants that flower at different times of the year.
Some of our favourite bee-loving plants include a mass of lavender, a copse of flowering gums or hakeas, or pretty little leptospermum. Grevilleas and callistemon are classics in native gardens; and don’t forget to let a few of your herbs and vegies go to seed. Bees find their flowers delicious.
3. Steer clear of pesticides
Bug spray of any kind is going to repel or, worse, kill off the bee population in your garden. Avoid garden chemicals and insecticides if you can. Or, if you must use them, then try to steer clear of spraying near flowering plants. Get to know where your bees are buzzing, and keep these areas as spray-free as possible.
4. Give them a drink
Bees need a drink every now and then. A garden with a reliable source of water is going to be more appealing for buzzing bees than a parched one. Add a cute little bird bath with a shallow supply of water, and plenty of pebbles so that these fragile little creatures won’t drown.
There you have it. Four easy ways to encourage bees back into your garden so you can enjoy their quiet hum and the gorgeous scents they produce for many years to come.