We Need Honey Bees In Our Loudoun Garden
At Property Services Landscape we value the Land of Loudoun County. As such, we wanted to take a moment to talk about a problem that is affecting crops all across America; the mass decline in Honey Bees.
“…the mysterious mass die-off of honey bees that pollinate $30 billion worth of crops in the US has so decimated America’s apis mellifera population that one bad winter could leave fields fallow. Now, a new study has pinpointed some of the probable causes of bee deaths and the rather scary results show that averting beemageddon will be much more difficult than previously thought”.
So what can you do to help save the Honey Bee population, and ensure that crops in America continue to thrive and we continue to have food to eat?
More than you think…
Every plant or flower planted in your Leesburg or Ashburn yard can help the Honey Bee population rebound.
And there are several things that you, as a homeowner, can do to attract more honey bees:
Plant What Honey Bees Love:
• Honey Bees are attracted to native flowering herbs, fruits and vegetables, wildflowers, berries and many flowering fruits and vegetables
• Honey bees are most attracted to flowering plants that are blue, purple and yellow
• Honey Bees are most attracted to single flowers, or ones that have one ring of petal, as this makes it easier for the Honey Bee to get to the plants’ nectar.
• Honey Bees love diverse flowering plants and plants local to the habitat of Loudoun County
Flowers That Honey Bees Love:
• Black Eyed Susans
Herbs That Honey Bees Love:
Fruits and Vegetables That Honey Bees Love:
• Winter Squash
• Flowering Broccoli
Fruit Trees Honey Bees Love:
• Black Locust
Pick Plants That Have Long Blooming Cycles:
• Plants with long blooming cycles will continue to attract honey bees throughout the growing cycle. This is also true of plants that have repeating bloom cycles.
Group Like Plants Together:
• Not only does this look better in your Loudoun County Garden, but grouping like plants together, also makes it easier for Honey Bees to pollinate. Ty to plant one square yard of plants together. Another option is to plant herbs in containers.
Do Not Use Harsh Pesticides On Your Garden:
• Try an organic fertilizer like the ones used at Property Services Landscape
Provide A Fresh Water Source For The Honey Bees To Drink:
• Add water hardscape such as a pond or waterfall
• Provide a bird bath, but remember to change the water frequently to not attract mosquitos
• Plant in containers with peat soil
• Increase flowering plants, which house morning dew
Encourage The Healthy Growth Of Flowering Plants:
• Regular maintenance and care of flowering plants allow them to bloom bigger and longer. For tips on how to encourage healthy growth check out Property Services Landscapes’ Blog on Your Loudoun Garden: http://propertyserviceslandscape.com/news/your-loudoun-county-garden/ and our blog on perennials: http://propertyserviceslandscape.com/news/how-to-plant-perennials/
• Deadhead flowering plants as their flowers dry up to encourage regrowth
Imagine if every homeowner in Loudoun County made just the smallest effort to attract more Honey Bees? Now imagine that happening all across the United States?
The simple fact is that we need Honey Bees to survive and they need us to help them survive.
For more information on how you can help visit:
If you have any questions about how to attract Honey Bees in your garden contact Brian Wedemeyer, owner and operator, of Property Services Landcapse of Leesburg, VA:
At Property Services Landscape we care about more than just lawn mowing and mulching and aerating and fertilizing your lawn. We care about the ecology of our beautiful countryside and hope to help it stay strong, healthy, beautiful and in bloom!