The push to remove hedgerows to increase field sizes for bigger and even bigger farm machinery. Ploughing up meadows to make way for grasslands to feed our livestock, ploughing right up to field margins. The over use of pesticides to remove unwanted weeds, weeds that are 'bee food'.

Mixed forests are felled to make way for faster growing softwood pine planting. This causes serious loss of pollinators, by removing hardwood bloom that feeds bees early in the season, and by removing hollow trees used by feral honey bees, and dead stubs used by many solitary bees.

Monoculture ... vast areas of a single crop that only flowers for a few weeks in the year, then nothing.

Okay ... so what can you do to help ?

Grass lawns used to be the mark of the 'rich high society' ... however, times have changed and most of us now seem to have a back lawn of some sorts, which we diligently trim and spray with a cocktail of pesticides to keep out the weeds.
These lawns are in fact an environment disaster for pollinators, and are a complete barren desert.

Could you let the dandelions flower, the clover and all those other 'weeds' ?
Could you plant a meadow ? Doesn't have to be a big one ... plant a meadow in a pot even ?

See how the German Beekeepers have A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

I have been asked many times ... "What flowers do bees like to visit?"

I have listed a few of the more common flowers in the following pages ... click on the alphabetical letters below to find the ones you favour that start with that letter.

Did you know that in the UK there are over 2,000 varieties of flowers that are solely dependent on the Honeybee for pollination

A   BC   DE   FG   HIK   LNM   NOP   RS   T-W

P -- good source of pollen
N-- good source of nectar
* -- excellent for bees
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You might also like to try this link What's the Buzz on .... Planting a Bee Garden
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Abelia NP especially A. Chinensis & A. Schumanii, semi-evergreen or deciduous, flowers May-August
Acer NP Sycamore, Maple, Typically small trees, with often insignificant looking but valuable flowers.
Achillea N Yarrow, various flower colours but often white or yellow from May to Sept. Wild form pernicious.
Aesculus NP Horse Chestnut (Large tree) not suitable for most gardens.
Alcea Althaea NP Hollyhock, Tall imposing spikes of flowers, July to September.
Alchemilla NP Lady's mantle
Allium NP is the onion genus, with about 1250 species
Alstroemeria NP In some species two tepals are enlarged and vividly coloured and act as "flags" for pollination.
Alyssum maritima NP is a genus of about 100-170 species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae (cabbage family)
Alyssum saxatile NP
Amelanchier NP is a genus of about 20 species of small deciduous trees and large shrubs in the family Rosaceae
Anchusa N general characteristics of the borage family. They are generally herbs, covered with bristly hairs. The leaves are simple or undulate, covered with stiff hairs
Anemone P is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the buttercup family
Anthemis NP known by the common name Chamomile; some species are also calledDog-fennel orMayweed.
Arabis NP is a of flowering plants, within the family Brassicaceae
Armeria NP they flower and flower the whole summer long, starting in June and often not stopping till early November, and the colour range is glorious, from shocking pink through cerise, red, lilac to palest pink.
Aster *NP Michaelmas Daisy, valuable source of pollen and nectar in autumn. Bright 'daisy' flowers Sept-Oct.
Aubretia *NP It is a low, spreading plant, hardy, evergreen and perennial, with small violet, pink or white flowers, and inhabits rocks and banks.