Give bees a hand in the garden, charity urges
Date: 19-May-03
Country: UK
The National Trust and the government's wildlife advisors English Nature said some bee species are on the verge of extinction and the overall population has declined by 60 percent since 1970.
"With over 15 million gardens across the country, gardeners collectively can make a huge difference", said Fiona Reynolds, the Trust's director-general.
Richard Jones, director of the International Bee Research Association in Cardiff, said the increase in commercial farming and urban sprawl has destroyed the bumblebee's natural habitats.
The Trust and English Nature plan to promote the bumblebee and wildlife in gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show, Britain's premier flower show, which opens next week.
Many gardeners believe that all flowers are beneficial for bees when in fact many modern hybrids are sterile and lack the pollen and nectar, which is the bees' main food source, said a spokeswoman for English Nature.
As bumblebees see ultraviolet colours, the best options are flowers that are white, blue, purple, or yellow, she said.
Bee-friendly species include bluebells, rosemary, nettles, geraniums, foxgloves and honeysuckle.
English Nature and The National Trust will also be encouraging farmers to leave wider field margins, plant more fields of red clover, and grow more hedgerows.
