Bee Friendly Gardener

01/05/2026

Camassia quamash opened in today's sunshine.

19/04/2026

Bee-friendly and in bloom now

04/04/2026

In bloom right now

04/04/2026

A Podcast recommendation for whether,or not, you are a member of a Wildlife Trust, RSPB or Woodland Trust. Here, all three chief executives of these 3 organisations are all in one room to discuss the current state of UK conservation.
Trees A Crowd is hosted by actor David Oakes, who is very active in this arena, and is always well worth a listen.

Around a table at the Woodland Trust's headquarters in Grantham, David sits down with three of the most powerful voices in British conservation: Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust; Craig Bennett OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts; and Beccy Speight, Chief Executive of t...

22/03/2026

In bloom this weekend

20/02/2026

Buff-tailed Bumblebee queen out on crocuses this morning

19/02/2026

Klasea bulgarica. A plant reco from Dave Goulson, the 'bee professor'. First ones available this year have just turned up on ebay for leahurstnurseries (www.treeferns.com). My order arrived yesterday. Several nurseries like Beth Chatto's have them on as waiting status.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMdvqJegTwo&t=39s

One of a series of short videos highlighting some of the best plants for attracting bees and other pollinators. If you'd like more, watch my playlist "Best P...

18/02/2026

One of my first annual census of 2026 - Crocus tomassianus. Planted 50 in autumn 2022. Now has 117 flowering stems.

06/02/2026

Us wildlife-friendly gardeners are always asking you to leave the seedheads standing as late as possible before you tidy up for the spring. Today, the local Goldfinches were back in greater numbers No more than 4 up until this morning, but now 10 feeding on Verbena bonariensis and, here, on Lemon Balm.
Lemon Balm is a rather ordinary, shrubby herb. A distinctive lemony smell from the leaves which can be used for herbal teas; small, unexciting white flowers which are much used by small bees but when left, are being visited by Goldfinches every winter in my garden.

05/02/2026

Gardening on the Other Side of the Fence -no.29 (Eastry Village News Feb/Mar 2026)
We have just passed the 5th anniversary of being here in Eastry and it is only now that the young trees that I planted in the winter of 2020/21 are starting to really impact my immediate skyline. All were very young saplings and most have now doubled or tripled in height and it is now more noticeable that the birds are starting to use them as they move through the garden. The pleasure of seeing the results of tree and hedge planting is still one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening or conservation volunteer work. Up until the end of March is still suitable for planting, perhaps look for bare-rooted young trees if you are on a budget but be prepared to keep them well-watered if we have a dry summer. I have two Paul’s Scarlet Midland Hawthorns on order which will be the last additions to this garden.
On a less favourable note, the motivation to garden in a wildlife-friendly manner is being tested by the data from various organisations on the continued decline of our wildlife. Despite the sunny spring and hot summer in 2025 which you would expect to give insect numbers a boost, these favourable conditions did not in fact produce the hoped-for increases. The Bugs Matter survey, which I take part in by collecting records of insect splats on our car number plate, recorded the fifth continuous year of decline – down 59% since 2021. And the Big Butterfly Count had 2025 as only the 7th best year out of the last 10. However, six species of butterfly have increased since 2011 but the next eleven most recorded have declined. There have been stunning increases achieved at several rewilding projects and wildlife-friendly gardening and farming continue to gain traction and increased funding so I do hope we have reached the bottom of the trough and that as changes in management on road verges and the wider landscape take effect that we can see an improvement. Gardens still cover an area greater than all out other protected spaces so altering how you manage your own space is still one of the major impacts you can make in a time when Government targets of 30 by 30 (30% of our land protected by 2030) still look somewhat distant.
In my previous article I mentioned gardening on sand and waste materials. For those of you who watch Gardeners World, the very last edition of the normal series featured the work being carried at by the team from the Beth Chatto Gardens on a new housing estate in Elmstead Market,Essex. (Chattowood). Far more exciting than the mown grass verges usually on offer and I hope the idea catches on. I have put some drought tolerant plants and Allium bulbs in pots of pure sharp sand so will be interested in the outcome.