Gardening for Bees

David chats with members after his talk

Despite being advertised as a duet it turned out to be a solo performance by David Rutland. He was our speaker on Wednesday 3 April, on the topic of "Gardening for Bees". He described the three main types of be we find in the garden (Solitary, Bumble and Honey), how each lives and what they eat.
It came as a surprise to learn that gardeners are recommended to concentrate on providing the right planting in winter and spring for Honey Bees, as they are about at all times of the year.
Even more of a surprise was to learn that Honey Bees thrive on dandelions, and are very partial to the flower of ivy. So, it seems dandelions do, after all, have a benefit.
Many of those present at the talk will, no doubt, be more sensitive to the needs of all types of bees in the future.