Make your garden bee friendly for the summer months

A healthy garden is one where bugs of all sorts visit – especially bees.

Did you know that there are thousands of species of bees around, and all are essential to sustainable living, so it is our duty to create a habitat that is conducive for bees.

“When it comes to planting, we are not normally thinking about the effects of what we plant. We rather focus on what will look good and what would require the least maintenance, but it is important to plant for the environment, and of course keep the bees in mind. Here are some facts about bees you should know,” says Granny Mouse Horticulturist, William Brown.

He continues: “Bees are responsible for pollinating a third of the fruit and vegetables humans eat. Some bees need the nectar from certain flowers and vice versa. Pollination from bees allow humans to yield a good crop and without them our agricultural world would be ruined.”

When planting into your garden, it is important to ensure that you include bee-worthy plants that boast a variety of colours such as purple, blue, white, yellow and orange, as bees have excellent colour vision and are drawn to these kinds of flowers.  It is also important to plant one kind of species in bunches which will attract a larger amount of bees to pollinate the area and ensure the flowers you choose can be planted in direct sunlight.

“Bees enjoy bright and sunny spots,” he adds.

Types of plants to consider:

Perennials: Dahlias, Roses, Yellow hyssop, Anemone, Geranium

Annuals: Sunflower, Calendula, Zinnia, Marigold

Herbs: Fennel, Lavender, Thyme, Rosemary

Fruit and vegetables: Peppers, Cucumbers, Raspberries, Strawberries, Wild Garlic, Pumpkin.

Apart from successful planting to attract bees, one must also consider that even though you have bee-attracting plants, pesticides can detract or even harm bees that do arrive in your garden.

According to gardencollage.com, vinegar is a great alternative for weeds. “Given that bees are our main pollinator, it doesn’t make sense to use pesticides that have been proven to kill them, especially when there are alternatives that are safe, easy to use, and cost effective.”

Natural weed killers are products such as vinegar, Epsom Salt, pepper, garlic and onion and even Eucalyptus Oil.

Happy planting!