Jacaranda’s new bee garden
Our very first guest, this bumble bee came visiting while the Heather was waiting to be planted.
Jacaranda’s new bee garden is in its infancy, but we are pleased to report we are attracting visitors already.
Jacaranda’s ‘eco’ committee meets regularly to discuss all parts of the business, to see where we can improve. As a result, we have a cleaner vehicle policy, recyclable packaging and carbon neutral rug transport. The most fun development though, is our new ‘Bee Garden’ which stretches right along the front of our Northamptonshire HQ.
Pollinators including bees are struggling, declining in numbers for multiple reasons. One of the ways we should all help if we can, is to supply pollen sources that flower throughout the year. Not any old flowers will do though. Bees have relatively short tongues apparently, so cannot access pollen from many showy, modern cultivars. Bees forage during warmer spells throughout the year, so plants that flower early or late can be particularly valuable.
Jacaranda’s hardy gardening volunteers planting our new ‘Bee Garden’. Early flowers such as these Primroses are particularly valuable to bees foraging for pollen after the winter.
We planned our planting using the Royal Horticultural Society’s website www.rhs.org.uk and the brilliant ‘Plants for Pollinators’ filter on their ‘Find a Plant’ search function. We ended up buying hundreds of plants through 3 different nurseries. On a windy day in early March, Richard and I (the MD’s) got digging, with several hardy helpers from ‘sales and marketing’. It’s been such a dry spring, that we have been watering hundreds of plants ever since. All our plants are looking healthy, several are flowering, and bees have been visiting since day one. We hope that word gets around.
Bees love this Salvia, selected for its purple colour to reflect the colour of Jacaranda’s logo.
5 reasons to support bees:
1. Biodiversity
As pollinators, bees play a part in every aspect of the ecosystem. They support the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants, which serve as food and shelter for creatures large and small. There is no doubting the importance of bees to our food supply. Without them, our gardens would be bare and our plates empty.
2. Wildlife Habitats
Many tree species, like willows and poplars, couldn’t grow without pollinators like bees.
3. Food Source
Bees produce honey to feed their colonies during the cold winter months. Humans have harvested honey for thousands of years.
4. Wild Plant Growth
Bees are responsible for the production of many seeds, nuts, berries, and fruit, which serve as a vital food source for wild birds and animals.
5. Pollination
Bees earn their reputation as busy workers by pollinating billions of plants each year, including essential agricultural crops.
Back