Monty Don names three plants you should add to garden now to attract bees
Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don thinks he has the solution to attract bees to your garden, and the expert says there are three plants you should add now
TV gardener Monty Don has named three plants people should add to your garden now if you want to attract bees.
As the lead presenter of Gardeners' World on and off since 2003, Monty knows a thing or two about making a garden flourish.
The consensus about whether it's good to have bees in your garden has changed a lot over the years. According to the presenter, most gardeners used to have a "simple but remote" relationship with the insects.
They recognised that bees produced honey but also that they sometimes sting you, so were best kept at a safe distance.
But as Monty explains, the arrival of the varroa mite in the UK from Asia, and the onset of chemical pesticides, began to damage the bee population.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, 75% of flowering plants, including fruits, nuts and vegetables, are reliant on animals such as bees for pollination. Monty says that gardeners are well-placed to do something to help preserve the bee population.
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Writing in the latest edition of BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, he says: "By planting a good selection of pollen-rich flowers, we gardeners can help to halt their decline and mitigate the depredations of agriculture."
Monty explains that it doesn't matter where the plant comes from, as long as it offers the bees pollen and/or nectar, and is sufficiently accessible to the insects.
But he says the evidence shows they have a preference for native or even local plant species, and then he goes on to suggest three plant species people could add to their gardens.
Monty adds: "Gardens should be a rich source of food and habitats for all kinds of bee, and with a little care can be made even better for them without any loss of pleasure to the gardener.
"Plant a wide range of flowering plants, including natives such as hawthorn and willow, and give a place to dandelions and other easily accessible flowers.
"Do your best to provide a sequential supply from early spring to late autumn. Include as many flowering shrubs, hedges or small trees as you can to provide windbreaks and shelter. Leave sunny sites as open as possible, and ensure these are filled with nectar-rich flowers for as much of the year as possible."
Monty ended with a note of caution for gardeners. He urged them not to use pesticides on their gardens, which can be catastrophic for bee populations.
Meanwhile, Monty recently explained why he always leaves one part of his lawn "bare". Monty is known for having an impressive garden, but it has all become part of his full-time job as it's been the filming location for BBC's Gardener's World for 15 years.
While his various areas of his garden has appeared in his work for several years, it's not surprising that's they've become more associated with work rather than pleasure.
Because of this, the presenter has revealed that he has a lesser-known part of his garden that requires less maintenance work that allows him to balance the buisness of his garden with his own pleasure of enjoying it for himself.
"I made this walk/lawn deliberately as a calm, green space to buffer and balance the business of the cottage garden and the intensity of the jewel garden," he explained.
