Why Bees Need Your Help
Wild bee populations in the UK have declined significantly over the past fifty years. Habitat loss, pesticide use, and the shrinking variety of wildflower meadows all contribute. Urban and suburban gardens now represent a crucial patchwork of food sources that help bees survive between the dwindling rural habitats.
A single garden with the right plants can support hundreds of bee visits per day during peak season. Multiply that across a street or a village and the impact is considerable.
Choose Plants That Bloom in Succession
Bees need food from early spring through to late autumn. If everything in your garden flowers in July and nothing else blooms the rest of the year, you are only helping for a few weeks. Aim for a succession of blooms:
- February to March: Crocuses, snowdrops, winter-flowering heather, and pussy willow provide the first pollen when queens emerge from hibernation.
- April to May: Bluebells, apple blossom, forget-me-nots, and flowering currant keep early colonies fed as they build up numbers.
- June to August: Lavender, foxgloves, borage, and salvias are heavy nectar producers during peak foraging season.
- September to October: Ivy, sedum, single-flowered dahlias, and asters provide late-season fuel before winter dormancy.
Go for Single Flowers Over Doubles
Double-petalled flowers look impressive to us but are often useless to bees. The extra petals replace the pollen-producing stamens, leaving nothing for pollinators to collect. Stick to single-flowered varieties wherever possible. A simple open daisy is worth more to a bee than the fanciest pompom dahlia.
Provide Water
Bees drink water and use it to cool their hives in hot weather. A shallow dish with pebbles or marbles gives them a safe landing spot where they can drink without drowning. Change the water every couple of days to prevent mosquitoes breeding.
Leave Some Mess
Solitary bees, which make up the majority of UK bee species, nest in bare soil, hollow stems, and old walls. A perfectly manicured garden offers them nowhere to live. Leave a patch of undisturbed earth, keep some dead stems standing over winter, and resist the urge to clear every leaf pile. These untidy corners are prime nesting habitat.
Avoid Pesticides
Neonicotinoid insecticides are particularly harmful to bees, but many other garden chemicals cause damage too. If aphids appear, try a strong jet of water or introduce ladybirds. Slugs can be managed with copper tape or wool pellets. In most cases, a healthy garden with diverse planting will reach a natural balance without chemical intervention.
Start Small
You do not need to redesign your entire garden at once. Start with a single pot of lavender on a sunny doorstep, or scatter some wildflower seeds along a fence line. Once you see the bees arriving, you will likely want to do more.
Our wildflower seed packets contain a mix specifically chosen for UK pollinators. Each packet covers about two square metres and includes a planting guide to get you started.