I've just been wanging aquilegias, giant scabious and creamy aconitums. Foxgloves have to wait till I get to their bed but there's enough wind to do it for me I suspect. Have noticed loads of bees on white lavender, astilbes and hosta flowers.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
When you wang, how long till you can expect the seeds to germinate, if they're going to? I've been doing a bit of wanging of foxgloves and aquilegias too
I've come online to find out about the new foxglove, Illumination, and noticed this thread. I bought a couple the other day to try and support pollinators - as these plants were covered in all kinds of pollinators at the nursery, I thought they'd be a good choice. However since planting I have found half a dozen dead buff-tailed bumble bees (over 24hours) - two died inside the flowers. I know there could be any number of reasons for this but I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience. Are these plants likely to have been developed or grown with the use of the neonicotinoids? I have been listening to the debate about this pesticide and its effect on honey bees and am very worried that I've introduced somthing deadly into my garden.
I've come online to find out about the new foxglove, Illumination, I bought a couple the other day to try and support pollinators - as these plants were covered in all kinds of pollinators at the nursery, I thought they'd be a good choice. However since planting I have found half a dozen dead buff-tailed bumble bees (over 24hours) - two died inside the flowers. I know there could be any number of reasons for this but I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience. Are these plants likely to have been developed or grown with the use of the neonicotinoids? I have been listening to the debate about this pesticide and its effect on honey bees and am very worried that I've introduced somthing deadly into my garden.
Verdun - If your neighbours have some ragwort then they are doing the cinnabar moth a favour. Its larvae eat nothing else. Ragwort can be so sparse, and the larvae turn cannibal if they strip the plants bare. The stuff is also the favoured nectar source of quite a few moths. When there are no worms in the soil and birds and bees are absent then it has gone beyoind the worrying stage
Thanks. I understand what you're saying, the garden means different things to different people. Re the bee issue, I've been watching closely over the last couple of weeks and haven't had any more problems. I do tend to think more about the pollinators than what's pleasing to my eye - I suppose that's because I find the bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies etc the most pleasing of all. I am relieved that things seem to have settled. Whatever had happened it's clearly at an end. Thanks for responding.
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I've just been wanging aquilegias, giant scabious and creamy aconitums. Foxgloves have to wait till I get to their bed but there's enough wind to do it for me I suspect. Have noticed loads of bees on white lavender, astilbes and hosta flowers.
When you wang, how long till you can expect the seeds to germinate, if they're going to? I've been doing a bit of wanging of foxgloves and aquilegias too
I've come online to find out about the new foxglove, Illumination, and noticed this thread. I bought a couple the other day to try and support pollinators - as these plants were covered in all kinds of pollinators at the nursery, I thought they'd be a good choice. However since planting I have found half a dozen dead buff-tailed bumble bees (over 24hours) - two died inside the flowers. I know there could be any number of reasons for this but I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience. Are these plants likely to have been developed or grown with the use of the neonicotinoids? I have been listening to the debate about this pesticide and its effect on honey bees and am very worried that I've introduced somthing deadly into my garden.
I've come online to find out about the new foxglove, Illumination, I bought a couple the other day to try and support pollinators - as these plants were covered in all kinds of pollinators at the nursery, I thought they'd be a good choice. However since planting I have found half a dozen dead buff-tailed bumble bees (over 24hours) - two died inside the flowers. I know there could be any number of reasons for this but I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience. Are these plants likely to have been developed or grown with the use of the neonicotinoids? I have been listening to the debate about this pesticide and its effect on honey bees and am very worried that I've introduced somthing deadly into my garden.
Verdun - If your neighbours have some ragwort then they are doing the cinnabar moth a favour. Its larvae eat nothing else. Ragwort can be so sparse, and the larvae turn cannibal if they strip the plants bare. The stuff is also the favoured nectar source of quite a few moths. When there are no worms in the soil and birds and bees are absent then it has gone beyoind the worrying stage
Thanks. I understand what you're saying, the garden means different things to different people. Re the bee issue, I've been watching closely over the last couple of weeks and haven't had any more problems. I do tend to think more about the pollinators than what's pleasing to my eye - I suppose that's because I find the bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies etc the most pleasing of all. I am relieved that things seem to have settled. Whatever had happened it's clearly at an end. Thanks for responding.