I think advice was offered at the start of the thread, as it seemed to be mainly about putting in bee hives. All planting depends on conditions and climate. If it's dry, you choose plants which will cope with that. If it's wet - likewise. Whether it's hot, cold, dry, wet, at sea level or at altitude, choosing the correct planting is the absolute starting point. I'm sure people who garden in dry hot conditions can give suggestions. I don't have those conditions but Nigella, Corncockle and Ox eye daisies will grow almost anywhere, and especially in dry soil.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Hostafan1 has or did have, lots of beehives, they are up in his woodland, he doesn’t sow wild flower seeds, the bees find what they need, they know what they like, hedgerows, lots of brambles, I think they travel for quite a way to get what they want.
@gr.letley I agree with @Fire, ask your local Beekeepers association and they will tell you what they need. Peace and quite is the main thing I believe which is why Hosta’s are set well away from his house.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
We've kept honeybees for 15 years now. It's a great hobby and we love it. My garden is about 3 acres, and we do keep some bees in the garden but as far away from the house as possible, and placed so that they cannot see us coming and going.
You need to think about how you will manage swarming .... and, despite your best efforts they will almost always swarm. If you are lucky they will fly to a low branch on a tree and you will be able to collect them. But they may also go into your neighbours chimney ..... and you will not be popular.
You also need to establish if you (or your family) react badly to bee stings. There are any number of novice beekeepers who have spent a lot of money on bees, hives, and bee suits etc .... only to find that they have a problem and have to give up.
My advice would be to join your local beekeepers association. Do any courses they offer for beginners, and go to any apiary visits they organise next summer. That way you will see if you are comfortable with 100,000 bees flying around you ... some people find it intimidating.
Don't want to put you off ... but you are best going into this with a sense of realism.
Hope that is helpful.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I agree @Bee witched. People think if they can sow some wild flowers seeds they could have bees to stay, it really isn’t that simple. I have though about it, but it’s only a three quarter acre plot, I don’t think it’s suitable, we’re out there every day, not sure if they’d get the peace they deserve. The Eden Project has hives, placed in amongst their heathers, I’ll stick with seeing them there.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I just want to give the bumble bees a home. Not interested in honey. I saw them crawling into the pipework in the scaffolding. So, I put out 3 wooden boxes -- 2 bee homes and one big bird box --that the National Trust sells in discreet areas around the garden. What is the way to attract them to use one of them as their home?
I'm describing keeping honeybees .... which is quite different a different situation than your boxes for bumblebees.
I can't give you any advice on making your boxes more attractive to them ..... all bees have a mind of their own. All you can do is wait and observe, and you may get lucky.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Are you wanting to have the meadows etc in order to help bees out? Because I think that by adding honeybees, you would be being counterproductive. Honeybees aren't really at risk of extinction etc like wild bees are, and introducing them to your garden means introducing more competition for food for the wild bees, so in way potentially making things more difficult for them (unless I guess you have millions of flowers and there's enough for everyone).
Posts
All planting depends on conditions and climate. If it's dry, you choose plants which will cope with that. If it's wet - likewise. Whether it's hot, cold, dry, wet, at sea level or at altitude, choosing the correct planting is the absolute starting point.
I'm sure people who garden in dry hot conditions can give suggestions. I don't have those conditions but Nigella, Corncockle and Ox eye daisies will grow almost anywhere, and especially in dry soil.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@gr.letley I agree with @Fire, ask your local Beekeepers association and they will tell you what they need.
Peace and quite is the main thing I believe which is why Hosta’s are set well away from his house.
We've kept honeybees for 15 years now. It's a great hobby and we love it.
My garden is about 3 acres, and we do keep some bees in the garden but as far away from the house as possible, and placed so that they cannot see us coming and going.
You need to think about how you will manage swarming .... and, despite your best efforts they will almost always swarm. If you are lucky they will fly to a low branch on a tree and you will be able to collect them. But they may also go into your neighbours chimney ..... and you will not be popular.
You also need to establish if you (or your family) react badly to bee stings.
There are any number of novice beekeepers who have spent a lot of money on bees, hives, and bee suits etc .... only to find that they have a problem and have to give up.
My advice would be to join your local beekeepers association. Do any courses they offer for beginners, and go to any apiary visits they organise next summer. That way you will see if you are comfortable with 100,000 bees flying around you ... some people find it intimidating.
Don't want to put you off ... but you are best going into this with a sense of realism.
Hope that is helpful.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I have though about it, but it’s only a three quarter acre plot, I don’t think it’s suitable, we’re out there every day, not sure if they’d get the peace they deserve.
The Eden Project has hives, placed in amongst their heathers, I’ll stick with seeing them there.
I'm describing keeping honeybees .... which is quite different a different situation than your boxes for bumblebees.
I can't give you any advice on making your boxes more attractive to them ..... all bees have a mind of their own.
All you can do is wait and observe, and you may get lucky.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime