Bees are part of the garden scene – whether they are wild bees, or whether they are special bees in your garden hives. In this new series we shall be discussing types of bees and all the products that come from bee keeping. A whole new life-interest could be about to begin.  

In this section of GoneGardening.com, we shall also be taking a brief look at the fascinating history of bee keeping in Britain and abroad. The widely held beliefs in the health-giving properties of honey and beeswax will also be examined. And of course we will draw your attention to the flowers, plants, shrubs and trees - including the best named varieties - that attract bees.

Brief history

In this section we shall look at how bee keeping has developed from its earliest beginnings.

There are all kinds of amazing stories connected to bee keeping. Apiculture has long been a major industry in many parts of the world. There was a time in Russia when on average an apiarist took care of a hundred stocks of bees. In the winter bee keepers made hives and frames for the hives.

Over the centuries all manner of rules and regulations have been devised to control the production and sale of the products from the bee. There have been taxes on honey and wax and restrictions of where amateur beekeepers can sell their products – whether to trading organisations or directly to the public via shops. And in early times people were charged fines for destroying bee nests.

But let’s start at the beginning. Look in this section of Bee Keeping next month…

Plants that attract bees

In this section we shall consider garden-worthy plants species by species.

Bees fly to a range of herbs in the garden. They are particularly drawn to plants with daisy types of flower heads, or flowers with tubular shapes. Do you remember watching bees crawl into foxgloves – how their bags bulged with pollen – and how they buzzed if you pinched the end of the flower to capture them? Children can be cruel. A better way to keep bees – especially for the bee! – is in a hive.

The epithet ‘Melissa’ in the Greek name for honeybee; and melliferous meaning ‘producing honey’ comes from the Latin mel for honey. The herb Melissa officinalis, lemon balm is grown for its lemon scented leaves. Tiny, white tubular flowers appear in June. As a garden plant, try the cultivar M. ‘Aurea’- a variegated form.

Another must have is Monarda ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ This exciting perennial plant has aromatic foliage and tubular flowers. The overall effect is an inflorescence of a bright red fringe around a darker centre – Monarda didyma is also known as bee-balm. Look in RHS shows for the cultivar ‘Croftway Pink’.

There are plants associated with various kinds of honey: for example, clover, acacia, and heather honeys exist. Bees travel over wide areas searching for nectar-producing plants. Lots of interesting and uncommon varieties of these and other plants coming soon. Look in this section for interesting plants next month…

How to control caterpillars without killing the bees

A tricky problem for gardeners, who value the environment, whether they are beekeepers or whether they simply appreciate wildlife, is how to control caterpillars without killing bees.

There are various methods. If you have only a few vegetables or choice plants in a small garden, you might prefer to pick the caterpillars off by hand. Otherwise, to kill butterflies (in limited areas) most organic garden specialists recommend soap preparations based on fatty acids. And Derris kills caterpillars – the active ingredient comes from a number of tropical plants.

Some gardeners will wish to use sprays containing Bifenthrin ingredient, for example: Phostogen’s BugFree. If you are not a bee keeper and you intend to use this products – which the makers claim as suitable for organic gardening- but you don’t wish to kill beneficial flying insects, it is recommended that you delay spraying until early evening. After dusk you will be less likely to kill butterflies and bees.