There’s a lot of different things you can plant for bees.
FIRST AND FOREMOST:
1) Always plant natively. This takes research, but in the long run, it’s easier for you, the gardener, and on the land.
2) Do not plant anything already sprayed by pesticides. It doesn’t matter if you have zero plans on using them, as it can reside for much longer and continue to harm pollinators.
There are often websites that discuss your local, native flora. USE THESE RESOURCES. Do not go down to a major chain store like Lowe’s or Home Depot. It will be tempting. They almost never have native species. Find your local nurseries. Certain arboretums sell native, safe/pesticide-free plants.
More reasons to planting natively: There are more bee species than just honey bees. A lot of native bees are in trouble due to food loss: that is, the squash bees need squash plants. Recent research is showing that other pollinators, such as monarchs need more than milkweed and rely on other flowers such as goldenrod.
To quote one of my friends: “People want to help pollinators, and the honeybee is one of those icons. However, there are over 400 native bees which barely get any attention and often are better pollinators of local food crops (ex: squash bees & squash/cucurbits or blueberry bees & blueberries).”
The other thing I want to point out is: BEES ARE REALLY AWESOME. BUT SO ARE WASPS, MOTHS, BUTTERFLIES, BATS, FLIES, BEETLES, AND BIRDS.
I have seen how bees are becoming popular, and at times, education on proper bee planting support, but wasps in particular remain a-okay to hate and kill and destroy. That’s really uncool. Because wasps are awesome. (Also often way less aggressive and territorial than people think.)
This is in part why native gardening is extremely important. Treat your home–your house–like a habitat. Keep grasses longer (do not cut it so low; this is actually way healthier for your grass too, and preferably: plant native grass). Keep dead logs around. Seems weird, but many species of animals use dead logs as homes and sources of food. (If you’re in California or a place where palms are native, consider not cutting down the skirt. Lizards and insects use these as homes!) Consider supporting all pollinators. Some of these plants are especially fun, such as persimmons
(Diospyros virginiana)
and paw-paws (Asimina triloba) for Maryland! (When researching native plants to Maryland, I found that a lot of the plants I thought were exotic were actually natives. Which was sort of terrifying in its own way.)
If you wish to plant non-natives or keep non-natives, consider a raised bed garden or pots. I prefer keeping a lot of non-natives, especially those that require less light and are particularly good for air purification inside. If you have pets, keep what is toxic in mind.
Learn to love “weeds.” There is not true weed species. Weeds are made up. We chose to say “This plant does not belong here.” A lot of ‘weeds’ I was told about were actually native plants. I always loved them and later found that yea, they’re actually really great. Before ripping any plant up, identify it.
If you do not have a lawn–I don’t have one in California–this is more difficult. I would suggest keeping native plants in pots. Some of them do well this way. If you have a balcony, don’t make the mistake I did and scorch-murder your plants. Make sure they have protection against the sun.
Visit your local arboretum (and in some cases, such as the zoo I volunteer for, we are also a garden). Ask questions. Go to the library and research. Send emails to people. If you realize anything you do is wrong or could be performed a better way, be open and do not take it personally. It may seem weird to add this little bit of advice, but seriously. I feel like sometimes we want to be correct, to be doing a really helpful thing, and when we realize we’ve failed, we get defensive and refuse to change. (I see this in the pet care communities, too.) This can cause more problems.
Reblogging because this actually is a thing that should concern more people.
If bees go extinct we will ALL die. No question about it. We cannot live without them.
fav post save da beez
fun fact: bees are a “cornerstone” species, meaning if a cornerstone species goes extinct, it takes the entire ecosystem with it. If bees go extinct, a lot of flowering plants, fruits, and vegetables will go extinct with them, causing a massive food shortage worldwide that will kill millions.
So yeah, save the bees. They are harmless and help keep the planet alive and literally help grow food.
It’s art, and it’s a way to help save honeybee’s. We at Bee-Hive Studios give it a huge thumbs up. I personally can’t stand cilantro, so that will never grow in my gardens. However, I will happily plant many of the other plants this coming Spring.
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