The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Fluffywelshsheep on February 23, 2009, 07:50:02 pm

Title: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on February 23, 2009, 07:50:02 pm

www.saveourbees.org.uk

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: Rosemary on February 23, 2009, 07:54:54 pm

We're registered. Thanks, Linz

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on February 23, 2009, 08:01:59 pm

more things for bees here plus free sunflower seeds

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: pegusus pig on February 23, 2009, 09:07:45 pm

Thanx linz, just reg, now downloading activity pack, keep the kids entertained for an afternoon. No seeds left though so will buy some sunflower seeds!!  ;D ;D ;D :pig:

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: minidax on February 23, 2009, 09:21:27 pm

Registered here.

 :D

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: Rainyplace on February 24, 2009, 09:09:38 am

Me too. My bees were out yesterday, lost one hive through the winter

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: sandy on February 24, 2009, 10:52:29 am

Thanks, I have registered, would like to keep Bees but I have had a few bad stings and it certainly puts me off  :bee: :bee:

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: doganjo on February 24, 2009, 11:05:12 am

I've registered too.  Can't have bees in case grandchildren get stung.  But we all love honey, Mummy! ;D

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: sellickbhoy on February 24, 2009, 02:46:28 pm

I'm very keen on introducing beasties into my garden.

I've planted 300 willow cuttings to help introduce beasties/birds and also help improve the soil/provide firewood.

All my raised beds are for fruit and veg, but i'm building a massive bed to go around my perimeter fence - it'll be about 150 feet long. So i'm gonna grow some flowers to add some colour and attract more beasties/bees

But i want colour all year round - not just for a few weeks - like you get with dafs - so can someone give me a definitive list of flowers i can plant so i can have colour from spring to autumn.

I'm also planting marigolds as they hide the carrots from carrot fly.

if the bees come back, i can throw away my old paint brush that i use to hand polinate everything.

and nothing tempramental like roses, something that i can plant and it will grow!!! i've enough keeping me busy with the veg!

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: Hardfeather on February 24, 2009, 05:07:24 pm

For a lovely show of blue from April to July you could plant Gentian............it's low growing and spreads slowly, and bees love it. You don't have to dead head it either so it's low maintenance.

Lupins, once established, just do their own thing at the back of the beds and keep insects interested for weeks, too.

There are all different colours of perennial Geraniums which flower well across the spring/summer period, and hover flies seem to like them.

Honeysuckle, mints, Cotoneaster.............all loved by bees and flies........red/white/blackcurrants.........and, of course, Buddlea (sp) if you have the room.

Some of the scrambling roses are easy enough....they only need a prune at the back end of the year to get them away, trouble free, in the spring.

Hawthorn, too, in the hedge helps lots of insects in spring and their flowers are lovely, if short-lived.

Alpine strawberries.............................. ;) :)

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: doganjo on February 25, 2009, 12:57:36 am

Ooh, super info - thanks, have printed it off so I can get buying this week.

Title: Re: save our bee campain 6-15 march
Post by: sellickbhoy on February 25, 2009, 04:19:18 pm

i'm taking monday/tuesday off work - gonna try get the huge raised bed and fencing built this weekend so that I can get some flowers planted for this summer!

I thought this was meant to be the good life!!!