Bee Friendly
Save the Bees!
- Albert Einstein estimated that the human race would have no more than 4 years to live if bees disappeared.
- 80% of the crops that we eat are pollinated by bees.
- For a bee colony to make 0.5kg (1lb) of honey, they will visit at least 2 million flowers.
Bee numbers have been severely decimated and it seems to be down to a combination of several factors;
- The Varroa mite, which carries the virus varroatosis.
- The loss of habitats.
- Chemical use, especially neonicotinoids.
More and more, as modern agricultural methods render the countryside an inhospitable “desert”, private gardens increase in importance and are fast becoming little “oases” for wildlife.
If you, like many people, are worried about the plight of the world’s bees, you can do your part by planting nectar-rich plants in your garden. This will go a huge way to attracting and helping other insects too.
Bee Garden
You will find our Bee Garden at the front of The Mains of Drum between our entrance and exit doors. This herbaceous boarder, planted in October 2011, uses plants specifically selected for their benefit to bees, butterflies and other useful insects such as hoverflies. Here is a list of the plants that we have there to help our bees.
- Nepeta Six Hills Giant
- Paeonia Pillow Talk
- Persicaria Dimity
- Thalictrum Hewett’s Double
- Lysimachia punctata Variegata
- Sedum Purple Emperor
- Geranium psilostemon
- Eupatorium purpureum
- Leucanthemum Broadway Lights
- Geranium Buxton’s Blue
- Verbena bonariensis
- Anemone Whirlwind
- Paeonia Raspberry Sundae
- Agastache Honey Bee Blue
- Buddleja White Profusion and Empire Blue
- Aquilegia Blue Barlow, McKana Hybrids and Blue Star
- Parthenocissus quincefolia
- Phygelius Moonraker
- Phygelius Salmon’s Leap
- Achillea Salmon Beauty
- Nepeta Six Hills Giant
- Aster Monch
- Delphinium Black Eyed Sailors
- Monarda Mohawk
- Scabious Moon Dance
- Kniphofia Alcazar
- Cirsium atropurpureum
- Euphorbia Black Pearl
- Veronicastrum Fascination
- Knautia Red Knight
- Geranium Orion
- Carlina simplex
- Delphinium Black Eyed Angels
- Geranium psilostemon
- Nepeta Pink Dreams
- Salvia Adora Blue
- Campanula lactifolia
- Euphorbia Black Pearl
- Paeonia Kansas
- Nepeta Pink Cat
- Paeonia Festiva Maxima
- Monarda Pink Supreme
- Heuchera Berry Smoothie
- Macleaya cordata
- Phygelius Funfair Wine
- Berkheya Silver Spikes
- Echinops ritro
- Phlox Red Riding Hood
- Geranium sanguineum striatum
- Cephalaria giantea
- Achillea Terracotta
- Eryngium bourgatii
- Verbena bonariensis
- Rudbeckia Goldstrum
- Aster Monch
- Echinacea Kim’s Knee High
- Scabious Moon Dance
- Sedum Purple Emperor
- Garrya James Roof
- Phlox Eva Cullum
- Viburnum bodnantense Dawn
- Monarda Cambridge Scarlet
- Calaminta Blue Cloud
- Cephalaria giantea
- Helenium Moorheim Beauty
- Lythrum Robin
- Lonicera Serotina
- Delphinium Black Eyed Sailors
- Scrophularia Variegata
- Heucherella Sweet Tea
- Centranthus albus