It’s a summer day, and you’re basking in the sun as you survey your beautiful garden. All of your plants, veggies, and flowers are blooming and vibrant… but there’s something missing. Suddenly, it dawns on you – the sweet melody of buzzing bees is absent. Luckily, attracting bees to your garden isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are 8 easy ways to invite them in to your outdoor haven.
1. Look, Listen, and Encourage the Buzz of Bees
Bees play an essential role in the environmental health of our planet. They hover around flowers and plants, transferring pollen from one flower to another, helping flowers to grow and reproduce. They also create honey, an incredible natural sweetener.
But lately, the buzz of bees is silent in many areas due to a variety of factors, such as the destruction of their natural habitats, exposure to insecticides, climate change, and mass deforestation. Showing your support and appreciation for bees is more important than ever.
- Look in your area, and help bees out by planting native wildflowers, flowering trees, herbs, and fruit trees. All these flowers, trees, and herbs will help create a bee-friendly garden.
- Listen to nature and learn the sounds the bees make. Becoming familiar with bee behavior will make it easier to notice when there is a bee in your area.
- Encourage bee-friendly activities such as creating homes for bees or setting up bee baths. Plant lots of bee-friendly plants, give them a place to drink water, and avoid using chemicals in your garden.
Creating a bee-friendly atmosphere has long-term benefits. Supporting pollinators and their habitats is a highly rewarding venture for both you and for the environment.
2. Plant the Right Kind of Flora
Adding the right kind of flora to your home’s landscape is a beneficial way to give it a burst of life and splash of color. But when deciding what to plant, it pays to know the pros and cons of different kinds.
- Annuals have a long blooming period, and can step up the color in a landscape. But unlike perennials, annuals must be replanted each year.
- Perennials like Lavender, Sage and Oregano are an energetic plus for the garden. But some require trimming after blooming to prevent them from taking up too much space.
- Herbs can be a great addition to your home’s garden as they are both functional and beautiful as well as having numerous medicinal benefits. Be sure to know how much light and water they need to keep them healthy.
For those wishing to start a vegetable patch, opting for hardy varieties like lettuces and tomatoes is a great way to get started. You will reap the rewards when you are able to pick vegetables straight from the garden for your next meal. Different vegetables have different levels of maintenance, so make sure to research what fits best with your lifestyle.
Shrubs and herbs can bring natural charm and color to your garden while requiring low maintenance while trees provide shade and privacy. Be sure to choose the right kind of trees according to your local climate.
3. Offer Sweet and Safe Nectar
Bees get the taste of sweet honey from the nectar produced by flowers. The luscious flavor of nectar comes from the pollen, water, and other vital nutrients that the plant collects from the environment. To make sure bees stay healthy and safe, offering them nectar in its safest form is a must.
- Choose the Right Flowers: Choosing the right flowers is essential for any beekeeper. Look for flowers that are pesticide-free and have not been sprayed with chemicals or fertilizers. Some plants have nectar that is not suitable for bees, so avoid those as well.
- Provide Safe Nectar: Making sure that the nectar is safe to consume is important. It is best to offer fresh nectar as it has more nutrients and less spoilage. Old or processed nectar may contain toxins and chemicals that could harm the bees.
- Avoid Giving Pollen: Pollen should be avoided as it is a potential source of disease. Molds can contaminate the pollen and it can also be swallowed by the bees and cause stomach problems.
Beekeepers can also make sure that their bees only consume nectar from flowering plants. Some flowering plants have nectar that is not suitable for bees, so it is best to avoid these. Beekeepers must also be careful to provide clean, filtered water for their bees. This will help to ensure that the nectar is safe and uncontaminated.
By offering the bees only the safest and most delicious nectar, beekeepers can keep their hives healthy and productive. It’s important to remember that nectar is the essential food source for bees, and proper nectar management is essential for sustaining their health.
4. Put Out Homes for Bees
For the bee-lover, there are plenty of ways to help the important pollinator thrive. One of the easiest and most effective is to create a bee-friendly habitat in your garden.
Include a Variety of Flowers
- Aim to have a range of seasonal flowers which will attract bees throughout the year.
- Include flowers of different shapes and sizes, bees love to visit those with a deep inner basin.
- Include a variety of colors, particularly blue and purple for the most bee-activity.
Give Bees Somewhere to Nest
- Provide a home for solitary bees by installing bee hotels.
- Put out large blocks of dense, undisturbed wood which can be drilled with several holes in varying depths to accommodate different bee species.
- Use untreated wood or cardboard wrapped in a waterproof material.
Think About the Environment
- Avoid using pesticides or weed killers.
- Choose organic compost, soil, and fertilizers.
- Provide puddles or areas of dampness where bees can rehydrate.
Creating a bee-friendly habitat in your garden is not only beneficial for the bees, but is also incredibly rewarding for the garden-owner, who will end up feeling more connected to nature and their local ecosystem.
5. Keep the Area Clean and Pesticide-Free
Keeping the environment clean is key to a healthy and vibrant space. Reducing the amount of pesticides applied to our earth is essential to guarantee a hygienic ambiance. The 5 following tips can help you take steps towards a greener, cleaner garden:
- Remove trash and weeds from the area regularly.
- Aerate soil and add compost to keep vegetation fulgent and pest-proof.
- Implement crop rotations to keep the soil healthy and replenished.
- Locate and remove infested plants early on to prevent the spread of disease.
- Use beneficial bugs, such as ladybugs and praying mantis, to take care of pests and other undesired bugs.
Start Making Sustainable Choices Now
The application of chemical pesticides can have lasting and damaging effects on the environment and our health. Whether you’re a professional farmer, greenhouse owner or home gardener, opting for organic gardening practices is the right choice to make. Sustainable agriculture is the way of the future and if you want to leave this world in a slightly better state than you found it, then it starts with you now.
The data is in: Insects and spiders in organic fields were four times as abundant as those in conventional ones, according to a recent study by researchers at Harvard. Not only do these bugs keep plants and other insects in check, but their presence also provides a key source of nutrition for birds, small mammals and other larger predators. When pesticides are applied, the natural food chain breaks down, making it harder for animals to find the sustenance that naturally keeps ecosystems functioning.
6. Create a Garden Mosaic
Bring an outdoor protected space more colorful and fun by creating an eye-catching garden mosaic! With a few simple steps and a bit of creativity, you can create a permanent outdoor feature that enhances your yard or garden.
Step 1: Start by measuring and sketching the area. Choose a square or rectangular shape for your mosaic, the dimensions will depend on the shape of the available space. Mark the horizontal and vertical lines of your design on the ground.
Step 2: Move on to the important part – selecting your materials. Choose brightly colored pieces with different shapes and textures. You can use anything here, think of stones, sea shells, pieces of ceramic, bits of china or anything else you can find.
Step 3: Lay the pieces in the desired design and pattern, making sure to keep the aesthetic looking clean.
Step 4: Adhere the pieces together with a preferred adhesive or product. You could also use an epoxy adhesive to ensure that the pieces stay securely in place.
Step 5: You can now go ahead and grout the gaps in your mosaic. Simply spread the grout over the area and then scrape away the excess. Make sure to wipe the excess off as soon as possible.
Step 6: Finally, lightly brush the mosaic to remove any loose grout. Allow the grout to dry for a most effective result.
- Decide on a mix of shapes and colors for the materials used in the mosaic.
- Stick to the sketch design.
- Grout the areas once all materials have been laid.
- Be sure to brush away any excess grout.
7. Know When to Leave ‘Em Alone
In relationships, sometimes it’s best to know when to just let go and leave ’em alone. Knowing your own boundaries as well as your partner’s is essential not only to having a successful relationship, but more importantly, to mutual respect and happiness.
When an argument arises, it’s important not to escalate it. Taking a step back and giving yourself and your partner a little extra space to reflect may be one of the best things you can do–it’s a sign of respect and understanding that a conflict won’t be solved by simply bickering. As long as you feel safe, it pays to be the bigger person and try to understand where the other is coming from, or as the old saying goes “give them a long enough rope and they’ll hang themselves“.
Naturally, you might be feeling hurt or angry in the heat of the moment, and that’s perfectly normal. But, it’s important to remember that it’s just a feeling, and it doesn’t have to dictate your behavior. Taking a deep breath and using your own discretion as opposed to allowing your hurtful emotions to dictate your actions might be the most loving thing to do.
- If you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a break and take a breather.
- Resentment is the biggest relationship killer, so practice giving each other space and understanding.
- Smoothing out all relationship issues isn’t always easy–require patience and understanding to make it work.
- Having respect and knowing when to call it quits is essential for any healthy relationship.
Practicing restraint isn’t always easy, but it’s important for any successful relationship. Every situation is different, but it’s important to and just let it pass. To build mutual respect and trust in any relationship, you need to understand boundaries and respect each other. Your partner, and patience, will thank you.
8. Set up a Bee Bath
Bees need a constant water supply as much as they need nectar! There is no shortage of ways to create a bee bath, but here are some tips to build a bee-friendly oasis:
- Choose your container: It can be any water-safe container that’s large enough and deep enough to hold several inches of water. This can include a shallow bowl, bird bath, or even an old tire rim.
- Smooth the surface: Bees can drown in still water, so you’ll want to make sure you take steps to prevent that from happening. To create an improved surface tension, add smooth stones or pebbles to the water, or fill the container with sand before adding the water.
- Choose the right location: Bees can be confused by dark-colored containers, so instead choose one that is light, such as white or tan. You should also aim to place your bee bath in an area that gets four to six hours of direct sunlight every day.
- Keep your bee bath clean: Make sure to keep an eye on the bee bath and keep it clean. Clean out all the debris, and add fresh water every few days. It’s also a good idea to add some twigs nearby, as they bees can use those as a safe landing area.
Creating and maintaining a simple bee bath is an easy way to make your garden more inviting to bees. With a few simple steps, you can ensure that your garden has plenty of clean, safe water for our pollination friends to enjoy!
Bringing bees back to your garden can help create a more symbiotic relationship with the environment, allowing plants and flowers to flourish and spread beauty and growth to the world. By following these 8 easy ways to attract bees, it’s possible to make a positive difference in your garden, as well as for the many important species that need our help.
