Your blog has started a conversation in my house, June. I said I hadn't noticed many bees and no butterflies this year in my garden. My husband, who to he honest, has been doing more gardening says we always tend to get more later in the summer 'on those yellow flowers'. We think they are giant golden rods, which don't flower just yet. I need to see what other pollinators we have...😊
We've noticed the same, not only in the garden but on the allotment too. It's more obvious to those non-gardeners who have cars because windscreens are clearer for longer! There was a time in the summer when cleaning the car windscreen was a weekly chore, not so any longer. We have planted and also left clumps of nettles in borders in the garden and the allotment. One patch next to the veggies is deliberately just left wild. Whilst we weed at the allotment, we don't in the garden, preferring to let the wildflowers that settle stay, as long as we aren't tripping over them. Adding water helps as do having plenty of cover available. We don't use insecticides, even on the allotment, it's as organic as we can make it when we have neighbours who spray everything in sight. Finally, we have planted hebe's which they seem to love too.
We are doing more and more. We knew it was an issue, but it's only this year that we have personally really noticed the fall in numbers. It has really shocked us.
We live in a flat and no longer have a garden, so my enjoyment comes from observing others spaces . Thankfully Dundee has excellent municipal planting , including wild flowers , so I will keep an eye out for pollinators.
I agree June we should be doing more. I am leaving clumps of nettles to provide food for caterpillars and leaving some tall grasses. The euonymus “emerald gaiety” is full of bees as is the thalictrum.
Thanks, Alicia. I don't like to get 'preachy' on here, but some things are too important to ignore! We have a couple of overgrown areas that we leave alone, but I can't seem to grow nettles. I've transplanted the odd clump in the past, but they always die. Maybe I'll try from seed. I shall look out for emerald gaiety - thank you.
Good! Yes - golden rod is late and great for pollinators. I've seen a few more this week - particularly on borage and the runner beans!
Your blog has started a conversation in my house, June. I said I hadn't noticed many bees and no butterflies this year in my garden. My husband, who to he honest, has been doing more gardening says we always tend to get more later in the summer 'on those yellow flowers'. We think they are giant golden rods, which don't flower just yet. I need to see what other pollinators we have...😊
We've noticed the same, not only in the garden but on the allotment too. It's more obvious to those non-gardeners who have cars because windscreens are clearer for longer! There was a time in the summer when cleaning the car windscreen was a weekly chore, not so any longer. We have planted and also left clumps of nettles in borders in the garden and the allotment. One patch next to the veggies is deliberately just left wild. Whilst we weed at the allotment, we don't in the garden, preferring to let the wildflowers that settle stay, as long as we aren't tripping over them. Adding water helps as do having plenty of cover available. We don't use insecticides, even on the allotment, it's as organic as we can make it when we have neighbours who spray everything in sight. Finally, we have planted hebe's which they seem to love too.
We are doing more and more. We knew it was an issue, but it's only this year that we have personally really noticed the fall in numbers. It has really shocked us.
We live in a flat and no longer have a garden, so my enjoyment comes from observing others spaces . Thankfully Dundee has excellent municipal planting , including wild flowers , so I will keep an eye out for pollinators.
I agree June we should be doing more. I am leaving clumps of nettles to provide food for caterpillars and leaving some tall grasses. The euonymus “emerald gaiety” is full of bees as is the thalictrum.
Thanks, Alicia. I don't like to get 'preachy' on here, but some things are too important to ignore! We have a couple of overgrown areas that we leave alone, but I can't seem to grow nettles. I've transplanted the odd clump in the past, but they always die. Maybe I'll try from seed. I shall look out for emerald gaiety - thank you.
I did a video of them buzzing but can’t seem to post it anywhere … shame