We need the Bees, more than they need us!

Bees, Bees, Bees
I was pretty cheerful about “my” bees last year because they were so noticeably about early and often – I’m talking Bumblebees here. I knew of at least one nest in my woody area and the possibility of another in the middle of an unsightly clump of weed grass beneath a particularly large pot (which buzzed angrily when grasped). This year both Bumblebees and Hive bees are few and far between even though I have plenty of early and mid-spring flowering plants grown specifically for them and while I can’t claim to be organic, I don’t use pesticide; my garden is small enough for the “squash and stamp” method; makes your fingers a bit green at times but it washes off. What’s more, having encouraged birds into my garden for 10 years plus, by and large the birds do the job for me. I give them plenty of cover and most importantly water and they reward me by saving me money! I know there are plenty of people who never go into the garden without a Bug Gun and I can understand that it’s an easy and efficient way of killing the creatures you don’t want, but it is also indiscriminate and kills beneficial creatures too. If you kill the “goodies”, when the “baddies” come back, as they undoubtedly will, you’ll have no natural predators and you’ll end up buying more poison thus dropping your hard-earned cash into the pockets of the multinational chemical companies. Think of it as saving yourself some money if you prefer to. Let the birds and bees back in – you’ll be glad you did, and so will they.
Apple Blossom
My apple trees have bloomed and borne up against blustery wind and a battering from heavy rain. The Ballerina was a pillar of dainty pink, the Bramley burst a little later and the little Cox in the front garden did its very best. At the moment there looks to be a fair amount of possibility as far as crop goes, but as all apple growers know, a late frost followed by the June “drop” can reduce it or even wipe it out. The Egremont Russet and the little James Grieve, both on dwarfing stock and in pots, are also promising and the great thing about those is you don’t need a ladder to get to them!
Currently, I’m spending time tying-in Clematis that I had neglected to supply with enough support; the Clems don’t seem to mind, happy to latch on to anything, as long as it’s on the way up.
It’s difficult to keep up with the progress of my plants in general this is such a “fast” time for growth and the garden is getting fatter and fatter. A small garden fuelled by sun and rain can get out of hand if you don’t keep things under control – but it’s a great time to loose control and still enjoy it!