Two Bee or not Two Bee... Maybe only One Bee

WHAT an alarming position that would be if there was only one bee left. Who would pollinate all of the plants? We would have no more apples, pears, plums, berries and countless other fruits. And no more Honey!

Ok, so we haven’t yet reached that stage of desolation but we have seen a very serious reduction in the population of bees and other pollinators primarily as a result of the overuse of pesticides. Now is the time to reverse the situation and thankfully a new awareness has seen a wonderful increase in interest in saving our bees, butterflies, ladybirds, hoverflies and countless other insects by providing more of the flowering plants that sustain them.

The most gorgeous honey that I have ever tasted was Sycamore Honey, a great rarity gathered from the rather demure flowers of our common sycamore tree or ‘aeroplane tree’ as most kids would call it. It is hard to describe how different this was from other honies... Suffice to say that my taste buds were seduced in a way that they never expected to be.

You may not have space for a flowering tree but perhaps you might find a spot for one of the many pollinator friendly shrubs. * Forsythia... Yellow flowers in early spring *Cotoneasters... With a profusion of small white flowers *Buddlejas or Butterfly Bushes.. In pinks/ purples/blue/white *Berberis... With mainly orange or yellow flowers *Privet... A common hedging plant with off-white flowers

*Ceanothus or Californian Lilac... With primarily blue flowers *Pyracantha... Used as a wall plant. White flowers. *Rosemary... Well known herb with grey-blue flowers. *Potentillas... Long season flowers in pink/red/orange/white. And don’t forget perennial flowering plants (year after year) *Sedum... In pinks and white *Nepeta... Catmint with profuse grey-blue foilage *Rudbeckia... Shades of yellow *Verbena... Purplish with magenta hue *Salvia... Blue or red or white *Geranium... The outdoor types in pinks/dark red/blues. A glasshouse is the place to be in at this time of year and many gardeners are thinking of planting some tomatoes and cucumbers and peppers. Don’t rush to plant unless you have a heated house. The second week in April is time enough. On the other hand if you intend growing from seed you may start immediately.. Don’t try germinating seed in the greenhouse as the night temperatures are too low for success. Start in a warm room and as soon as the young seedlings appear give them good light to encourage sturdy plants.

It’s a wonderful time of the year and whatever gardening task you find yourself immersed in enjoy the experience. It is a real and enriching connection to the planet we share with so many other forms of life.