Save the Bumblebees

I was reading a magazine over the weekend and there was a one page ad to save the bumblebees. I had no idea they were having a shortage, you would never know by my yard. They swarm my bee balm, spearmint, catnip, and various other flowers, as many as two dozen at a time along with the blue wasps (very allergic to them).

Anyway it does not take much and I need to follow my large bees to see where their hive is cos I am sure there is some honey that needs to be harvested. Bees are responsible for pollinating 1/3 of our natural foods, including many of the ingredients used in the 100% all natural haagen-Dazs ice cream. (Yes it is an HD ad). They are disappearing at an alarming rate, the bees, not the ice cream, (although I expect the HD is disappearing at an alarming rate when on sale, but I digress.)

Bee-friendly flowers provide food (nectar) that keeps honey bees alive and pollen that helps fruits and vegetables to grow. So create a honey bee spa in a pot on your window sill, a honey bee garden in your backyard, or honey bee sanctuaty in a neighborhood park.

Choose flowers that produce nectar and pollen, such as sunflowers, daisies, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, asters, marigolds, hyacinths, hollyhocks, crocuses, foxglove, and geraniums.

Select an assortment of flowers that bloom successively over the spring, summer, and fall in order to provide food through the seasons.

Pick blue, purple, orange and yellow flowers-these are most attractive to honey bees.

Plant patches of like flowers in close proximity to one another.

Plants seeds or flowers that will successively bloom over the spring, summer, and fall, providing food for all seasons.

Do not use pesticides!

For more information on starting your own honey bee garden visit helphoneybees.com to learn more about planting your honey bee garden and see other ways to save the honey bees.