Drew Smith, part of Vistry Group, has launched a ‘Love Bees Grow Seeds’ Campaign to increase the pollination of wildflowers for bees at all its sites across the South. As part of the initiative, Glow was tasked to create a pop-up banner and leaflet to raise awareness and encourage people to help by planting wildflower seeds.
Love Bees Grow Seeds
Bumblebees are loveable and hard-working insects that provide a vital pollinating role, but their numbers and those of other insects, are in decline.
The importance of gardens as bumblebee havens is more significant than ever. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert gardener to help bees; you don’t even need to have a garden! A window-box, balcony or hanging basket will do!
The importance of gardens as bumblebee havens is more significant than ever. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert gardener to help bees; you don’t even need to have a garden! A window-box, balcony or hanging basket will do!
Simple tips for all bumblebee gardening
With 24 species of bumblebees in the UK, your gardening space, however small, can attract a surprising range of bumblebees. Here are a few simple tips to get your space buzzing:
- Provide flowing plants from early spring to late autumn and winter. Chose plans with long flowering times and keen them flowering by dead heading as the flowers die.
- Grow different shaped flowers. Some bees find it easier to forage on deeper tube-shaped flowers such as foxgloves, while other bees prefer open, simple flowers such as apple blossom.
- Plant the same type of flowers in clumps or clusters to help bumblebees go from flower to flower to save energy.
Did you know
- Planting flowers in window boxes, hanging baskets and pits will attract bees to window sills, patios and balconies – even high up on taller buildings.
- In larger pots you can have shrubs and climbers underplanted with small plans such as heather, hardy geraniums, heucheras, alliums and muscari.
