Grow Food Amherst recommends that we leave 10% for the bees!
Bee advocate, Jonathan Mirin, writes “one of the major challenges facing honeybees, native bees, and other pollinators (not to mention many other species around the globe) is loss of habitat. In the words of South Deerfield, MA beekeeper Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary, honeybees in many parts of the U.S. simply don’t have enough to eat. Our 10% For the Bees Campaign encourages audiences and communities to let nature plant 10% of their lawn – or plant a bee garden.”
If your front lawn looks like the one below, honey bees and other native pollinators will not find any food. They need flowers! And they need them throughout the summer.
If you simply don’t mow your entire lawn, clover and other flowers will fill in quite naturally over time. Also your neighbors will feel safer as they know you are not using any weed killers! Okay…. so not ready to let your lawn go wild? Fine, then why not leave at least 10% for the bees?
Of course, with a little extra effort you can create a nice wildflower border. The bees and other native pollinators will love it!
And if you love flowers….. pollinators will love you!
Finally, for you pros…. perennials make a great pollinator garden once they are established! For information on developing a pollinator garden, see: Pollinator Garden.
For more information on pollinators and pollinator gardens see:
More on Pollinators
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