Ashcroft Communities in Bloom was excited to receive information in the mail recently outlining a new initiative to help our honey bees. We all love to see pollinators like honey bees in our gardens, but did you know that they rely on the flowers we grow to feed their colonies? If honey bees don’t collect enough pollen and nectar, their hives won’t have enough nutrient-rich food to eat.
That’s why it’s important to plant pollinator-friendly flowers that are nutritious food sources for pollinators like the honey bee. To support honey bee health, Canada’s agriculture community has created “Bees Matter”, an initiative dedicated to honey bee health. This initiative is supported by a variety of organizations, and recognized and promoted by Communities in Bloom.
As part of the initiative, and with the support of the Canadian Honey Council, a new program called “Buzzing Gardens” was launched, where Canadians can help feed honey bees by signing up at www.beesmatter.ca for a free Buzzing Garden seed kit, which includes pollinator-friendly plants.
While you may have your garden all in place for this year, you can always go online and order the seed kit for next season. Visit the website and learn about the very valuable and necessary honey bee.
Andrea Walker