How I Grow
Gardening chats.
How I Grow
Supporting Bees through Thoughtful Gardening
In this episode, we unlock the secrets to transforming your patch of green into a thriving sanctuary for bees. Amid the challenges of industrial agriculture, diseases, and climate change, bees are facing an uphill battle, and our discussion focuses on how every flower choice and garden design can tip the balance in their favour. From the stunning salvia to the humble candytuft, we explore a palette of plants that not only please the eye but also offer a veritable buffet for our buzzing friends.
'How I Grow' is produced by The Seed Collection Pty Ltd.
Find out more about us here: www.theseedcollection.com.au
You're listening to how I Grow with the Seed Collection, and today I'll be talking about how to make your garden a haven for bees. Here you'll learn all about how to attract these beneficial insects to your garden. Bees are an essential part of the global ecosystem. Without their help in pollination, around 35% of the world's food harvest would be in serious trouble, with many familiar crops dying out altogether. Bees are under threat from industrial agriculture, disease and climate change. In particular, honeybees have suffered losses of up to a third of their populations across the world. While the worst of these problems have yet to reach Australia, there's no room for complacency. While the worst of these problems have yet to reach Australia, there's no room for complacency. Both introduced honeybees and the hundreds of native species could use a little help to keep their numbers stable and healthy.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately, as with so many things, apparently innocent human activity can have unintended consequences. Carefully nurtured gardens may look wonderful, but they often offer little support to the local bee population. Many flowers bred for beauty, particularly double-headed blooms, contain little or no nectar that's easily accessible for bees. To make matters worse, many gardens offer only a few varieties of flower, with blooming compressed into a short few weeks, rather than providing season-long nectar supplies. Add to this the common obsession with tidiness. That means pathways and other areas must be free of flowering weeds, and a large proportion of modern gardens don't give bees much reason to stick around. From a bee's perspective, an ideal garden would be almost completely wild, with a year-round supply of flowers and plenty of untidy nooks and crannies to nest in. But of course, not many active gardeners would be happy with the state of complete chaos. Having said this, it is possible to take a middle path. By growing a selection of plant species which attract and feed all kinds of bees, as well as providing some areas of suitable habitat for the many hundreds of solitary native bee species, you can make a positive difference.
Speaker 1:Bees aren't too fussy when it comes to their flower preferences, so as long as there's a good supply of nectar from different varieties of plants and for as long a period through the year as possible, they'll be happy. Nonetheless, they seem to have a slight preference for blooms in the white, blue and purple parts of the spectrum, and the more highly perfumed kinds of flowers also seem to be preferred. It is more important to provide a wide range of flowering plants rather than focusing on these particular factors, though, importantly, the beauty of a bloom to human eyes isn't necessarily a good indicator of its attractiveness to bees. Many highly decorative varieties are either low in nectar or have their nectaries placed too deeply within the elaborate flowers for bees to reach, will have their nectaries placed too deeply within the elaborate flowers for bees to reach. And while nearly any single-headed bloom will attract bees, some are particularly effective Things like Selvia. The Selvia family contains many species with blue and white flowers which bees do favour. However, the highly cultivated and decorative types are generally less well suited to bees than the more simple varieties.
Speaker 1:There's also candy tuff. This flowers from mid-spring. Candy tuff attracts both bees and butterflies to your garden with their masses of white or pink blooms. Sunflowers are easy to grow and provide food for both bees and birds, as well as adding impressive height and colour to your garden. There's also alyssum. Alyssum flowers come in a huge range of colours. They bloom over a long season too. In helpful climates, they will often self-seed to produce multiple generations for an even longer flowering season.
Speaker 1:Cosmos are one of the best flowers for attracting bees. They can be kept in bloom throughout summer, with regular deadheading. Let's not forget nasturtiums. Easy to grow thanks to their self-seeding habit. Nasturtiums provide masses of red, yellow and white blooms, which bees just love, and, as a bonus, all parts of the plant are edible with a delicious peppery flavour. And last but not least, there's cornflower. Not only are the flowers high in nectar, but the unopened buds and seed heads provide nectaries too.
Speaker 1:There's also bee-friendly herbs. It's not just ornamental flowers that provide a nectar feast for bees. Many medicinal and culinary herbs feature attractive flowers too, and some seem to be particularly prized by the bee flowers too, and some seem to be particularly prized by the bee. There's lemon balm, a vigorous herb that produces masses of tiny white flowers, which seem to be appreciated far more by bees than by humans. The flowers appear from early summer right through to autumn.
Speaker 1:Lavender is a highly perfumed bloom in a variety of blue shades. This makes lavender a positive bee magnet. Also, the wide range of cultivars available means that you have successional flowering from early spring to late summer. Rosemary is another. This kitchen superstar may not bloom as spectacularly as its distant cousin lavender, but its white, blue, pink or purple flowers are highly attractive to bees. Catnip, this herb produces mauve blooms on contrasting grey foliage, making it as decorative as it is bee-friendly.
Speaker 1:Coriander is another Keen herb. Growers will be only too familiar with coriander's tendency to bolt at the first sign of trouble. However, bees will be grateful for the plant's delicate white flowers, whether they arrive by accident or by design. As a bonus, the flowers also act as an aphid deterrent in a companion planting scheme. Another favourite of the bee is basil. Of the bee is basil. This may be best known for its fragrant leaves, but if left to grow to maturity, it will produce white, blue or purple flowers in late summer and early autumn. Other herbs which encourage bees include queen anne's lace, borage chives, thyme and members of the mint family. You can also work on attracting bees in the veggie patch.
Speaker 1:Vegetables can play their part in the bee-friendly garden in two main ways. Some produce flowers as part of their fruiting cycle, while others, such as carrots, can be left to go to seed, producing flowers later in the season or in their second year. Things like zucchini, pumpkins, cucumber and other members of the cucurbit family rely on bees for pollination. Both the male and female flowers contain plenty of nectar and bees pass pollen from one to the other while feeding. But even self-pollinating crops like tomatoes and chilies have a symbiotic benefit with bees. Native bees can increase fruit yields by buzzing pollen around the blooms with their wings. This helps pollination in areas where the breeze alone might not be fully effective. Peas are also self-pollinating, but still attract bees with their white and pink flowers appearing in spring. Other legumes, such as runner beans, provide flowers throughout the summer, so long as you continue to pick the fruit. Lastly, you can also increase the bee appeal of your veggie patch by growing rocket lettuce and other salad greens. Let some of the plants bolt to seed, and they'll produce bee-friendly flowers along the way. So what other ways can you help the bees?
Speaker 1:Whilst, providing plenty of nectar-filled flowers is the best way to attract bees, it's also helpful to create suitable habitats for solitary species to set up home in your garden. Some species live in rotting wood, so leave a few logs laying around in a quiet corner. Drilling holes into them will help make them even more desirable as residences. Other native species borrow into bare soil, so avoid the temptation to mulch every square inch of your garden. Still, others make their homes in rocky crevices, and so leaving a few unfilled cracks can encourage new residents too. And so leaving a few unfilled cracks can encourage new residents too. And lastly, the single biggest deterrent to bees in your garden is to use insecticides on your plants. These poisons can linger in flowers and their nectar for weeks or months after application, and commercial overuse is thought to be behind much of the devastation caused to the bee populations around the world. Without bees, a large proportion of agriculture would be in serious trouble. While the problems facing bees worldwide will only be solved by concerted action, everyone can do their bit to help by gardening with these essential little workers in mind.
Speaker 1:Next, let's go over some commonly asked questions on the topic of bees in the garden. How can I attract native bee species to my garden, specifically considering they have different preferences than honeybees? To attract native bee species, it's important to diversify your garden with a wide range of native plants that bloom all throughout the seasons. Native plants often have co-evolved with local bee species, providing suitable nectar sources and habitat. Additionally, leaving some areas of your garden wild or untamed will provide nesting sites for solitary bees, things like leaving bare soil patches or providing wooden structures like logs.
Speaker 1:Are there any specific gardening practices that I should avoid to protect the bee populations? There certainly are. One of the most significant is one we just touched on the use of insecticides on your plants. These chemicals are incredibly harmful to bees. Another practice to avoid is excessive mulching, as some native bee species require bare soil for nesting. Is excessive mulching, as some native bee species require bare soil for nesting?
Speaker 1:What if I only have a small urban garden? Do I need to have a large space to attract bees? Absolutely not. You can definitely attract bees to small gardens too. Even in limited spaces, you can plant a variety of bee-friendly flowers in pots or small garden beds. Choosing plants that bloom at different times of the year will ensure a continuous food supply for bees and, additionally, incorporating those herbs and vegetables that we mentioned can help support the bee populations in urban settings. How can I tell if the plants I'm buying from a nursery are bee-friendly? Try to look for plants that are labelled as pollinator-friendly or attractive to bees or attracts beneficial insects. You can also research specific plant species to determine their attractiveness to bees before making a purchase. Generally, plants with single-headed blooms and those in shades of white, blue and purple are more likely to attract them. Avoid plants with double-headed blooms or highly cultivated varieties, as these may offer less nectar or have nectaries that are difficult for bees to access.
Speaker 1:How do I tell the difference between a bee and a wasp. How do I tell the difference between a bee and a wasp? Distinguishing between bees and wasps can be done through several key characteristics. Firstly, there's the body shape. Bees typically have a more robust, hairy little body, whereas wasps are usually more slender and have a smoother body without as much hair. Bees often appear more fuzzy due to the branched hairs covering their bodies, while wasps have a sleeker appearance. There's also their colouring. Bees often have a more muted colour, such as browns, blacks and yellows, while wasps may have brighter, contrasting colours like black and yellow stripes. However, some bees, like the Australian native blue-banded bee, can have striking colours too. So colour alone isn't always a reliable indicator.
Speaker 1:Their diet and behaviour varies a little too. Bees are primarily pollen and nectar feeders, and they play a crucial role in pollination. They are generally not aggressive unless provoked or defending their hive. Wasps, on the other hand, are more varied in their diet and can be predatory, scavenging on other insects or human food. There's also their stinging behaviour. Both bees and wasps are capable of stinging, but their behaviour differs. Bees typically lose their stinger and die after stinging, as their stingers are barbed and become embedded in the skin. Wasps, however, can sting repeatedly, as their stingers are smooth and do not get stuck into the skin. You've been listening to how I Grow, produced by the Seed Collection in Melbourne, australia. It's our aim to make gardening more accessible to more people, and this podcast is one of the many ways we're doing that. If you don't already know who we are, jump online and visit wwwtheseedcollectioncomau. You'll find a treasure trove of gardening information, as well as a huge range of seeds and garden supplies and accessories. That address, again, is wwwtheseedcollectioncomau. Thanks for listening.