Learning About Bees

I recently joined a talk by the talented Bobbie Hemmings, a fellow student at university, who discussed the diversity of UK bees, looking at different habitats and species. I learnt a huge amount, including that there are social bees, such as the well-known honeybee, but also solitary bees, which I never knew about, and found out that there are over 250 species of them in the UK. Bobbie stressed the need to protect the bees, as they provide a vital ecosystem service to us, including pollination of wild plants and trees, and food crops, as well as being a food source for other organisms. However, bees are currently facing threats from habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, pollutants and invasive species. She explained what we, as individuals, can do to help, including keeping our gardens wild and creating an insect friendly patch in our gardens with wildflowers, dead wood and water sources. We can also create nesting sites, including bee hotels, bare patches of loose soil for miner bees, and piles of dead plant material. The choice of plants we use also has a huge impact on bees and Bobbie gave suggestions for different seasons, including the following:

Spring:

- Crocus

- Bugle

- Rock Cress

- Apple Blossom

- Spotted Dead Nettle

- Lungwort

Crocus

Summer:

- Foxglove

- Lavender

- Catmint

- Hawthorn

- Monarda

- Phacelia

Foxglove

Autumn

- Clematis

- Honeysuckle

- Aster

- Red Valerian

- Vervain

- Mahonia

Honeysuckle

The talk has been hugely inspiring, encouraging me to choose plants in the future that are beneficial to bees and other organisms. It has also reminded me of the need to keep informed about issues that I should be involved in as a Landscape Architect. My passion for the profession stems from a love for the environment, and my aim throughout my career is to leave a positive impact on the landscape. Therefore, I need to be joining more talks and doing more of my own research into current issues to ensure my design work can be as beneficial as possible, not just for people, but also our environment and wildlife. 

References

Hemmings, B. (2021) Bobs and the Bees: Exploring the Diversity of UK Bees. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo9Ii0nlBBg (Accessed: 15 April 2021)