We are enjoy this spring weather and the bees up north are coming out in droves – which is fantastic because they’re such an important part of our ecosystem.
Here are some easy steps you can take in your own garden to make sure our bees are looked after.
Switch out the pesticides
Always go organic when dealing with garden pests and do all you can to deter them from your patch without using heavy toxins. If you do choose to apply pest control, make sure you do it in the evening hours when the bees are safely back in their hives.
Plant their favourite flowers
Bees need nectar, so make sure there is plenty in supply in your garden. They love flowers such as rosemary, borage, asters, black-eyed Susans zinnias and sunflowers.
Consider planting some trees
They adore magnolia, maple, crabapple, holly and cherry trees.
Host a hive
If you want to go that extra mile, consider having a hive on your property. We used to have one in our Auckland garden that was maintained and kept by the beekeepers – we didn’t have to lift a finger!
This is the perfect time to start planning your summer garden – and companion planting is a great way to strategically deter pests.
Here are some tips for discouraging bugs with careful planning:
Plant garlic around your roses to deter aphids.
Mint will keep white butterflies away from your cabbages.
Yarrow, with its fern-like leaves and clusters of white flowers, attracts good insects such as ladybirds, hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which prey on aphids.
Tansy, which looks similar to yarrow but with clusters of yellow flower heads, is also an insect repellent.
Nasturtium grows like a weed at my place but I leave it because not only does it deter aphids, bugs and beetles, you can also eat the flowers and it looks gorgeous.
Rosemary will also deter pests and is particularly good planted close to cabbages.
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