One of the fun parts of my work is interacting with different community groups but especially groups that are focused on gardens, growing, wildlife and of course pollinators. If it’s bee season I love to take a bee safari around the gardens to inspire and educate visitors about the diverse species of bees and other
I often get asked to do a short presentation to augment an event or just to inspire and educate participants. This time I was at the Redcatch Community Garden, in Knowle in Bristol as part of the 2024 Bee Bold Awards. It was a great day at a very inspiring community project. I did a
If you grow runnerbeans you need bumblebees. It takes a big strong bee to force open the flowers and reach in to drink the nectar. As the bumblebee climbs into the flower, pollen is attracted to its hairy, fluffy body. Then as the bumblebee moves to the next flower it takes the pollen with it.
A few late flowers can make all the difference to pollinators still completing their lifecycle
A look back at 2023 and some of the highlights of a very buzzy year!
Jean Vernon is a finalist for The Beth Chatto Environmental Journalist of the Year 2023
Come and meet the bugs behind the new Lloyd of the Flies series by Aardman at RHS Wisley this summer
Look out for the buff-tailed bumblebee in your garden.
Image: Jean Vernon
Some of the best garden pollinators are solitary bees like this Gwynne’s mining bee (Andrena bicolor)
Lungwort is a power plant for pollinators offering an early and copious source of energy rich nectar.