Even if you are not going to take up beekeeping as a hobby, you can do your bit for honey bees which are essential to our way of life. They are the most effective pollinator of many fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants and trees and forage from February to October.

 

The British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) has put together a list of 'bee-friendly' plants that can provide a year-round source of forage including:

 

February - Acacia dealbata - Silver wattle

March - Alnus cordata - Italian alder

April - Amelanchier lamarckii - Serviceberry

May - Sorbus x arnoldiana - Rowan

June - Sorbus aria  / Tilia tomentosa - Whitebeam / Silver lime

July - Castanea sativa - Sweet chestnut

August - Koelreuteria paniculata - Golden rain tree 

September - Tetradium daniellii - Korean evodia

 

For more information, click here.

 

The BBC Gardeners' World web site also contains useful information about how to plan and maintain a garden that helps to support bees and other insects. For more information, click here.