Bees. I’ve been thinking a lot about them lately, especially what life would be without them. Lots of people who know more about science than me have pondered this and a planet without bees ain’t pretty. Flowers, fruits, vegetables and everything that eats them would suffer. Luckily this is one part of the environmental crisis that anyone with an outdoor space can tackle. A garden, balcony or even a windowsill can help to provide space for bees, all you need to do is plant some bee friendly plants in the ground, a pot or a window box.
So what do our buzzy little friends like to eat?
Top five bee friendly plants (hardy):
1. Lavender
2. Rosemary
3. Sage
4. Oregano
5. Thyme
Of course there are so many more too! The reason these are on my top five is they are so easy to grow and they can live in pots, small spaces and a variety of climates plus you can eat them too (yep even the lavender can be eaten). If you have a larger space add flowers, native plants and fruit trees too and those bees will be your BFF for sure!
There are some great local resources suggesting the best plants for your climate – I found this guide which perfect for anyone who lives in Canberra but many others exist too so have a look and think about what works for your climate, your lifestyle, garden design and gardening ability (or lack of?).
Plant them and the bees will come! We’ve been gradually adding to our own garden and it’s been great to see a mix of native and honey bees coming to have a snack on our pollen. We’re aiming to have something in flower all year (or as close to that as we can) to do our bit for the bees.
We also plan to add a bee hotel and a bee drinking station so – this will definitely be the luxe bee garden! So if you have a few dollars, a few minutes and a bit of space, why not make a bee friendly garden to start helping out little friends to help us get this earth back on track? Let me know how you go if you do!
Tales From Canberra 