GARDEN WORLD FESTIVAL
Left:
Traditional
herbs in an
African
setting.
Right: Flowers
and pathways
Below left:
Vibrant patio
colours.
BEEKEEPING
From page 8
pollinators.
As current natural habitat and
forage resources dwindle,
there is an urgent need to
protect and maintain existing
bee-friendly vegetation by
planting more bee-friendly
plants (as long as they are
appropriate to the specific
localities to prevent hybridisation or invasions).
Smallholders and farmers
alike should practise beefriendly agricultural processes, particularly in relation
to agro-chemicals.
Honeybees spend many days
Once again this year at Garden World’s Spring festival,
professional landscapers, students and schoolchildren
alike all worked their magic with their inspirational
show garden designs, packed with ideas for gardeners
in spaces ranging from townhouse patios to the
largest estate.
In much evidence this year was the use of vegetables
and herbs, acknowledging the growing trend among
homeowners to grow some of their own food.
in crop land (pollinating or
foraging), and are therefore
very susceptible to use of
pesticides. Agro-chemicals
have been found by some
studies to be one of the
leading causes of honeybee
deaths. Common insecticides
such as neonicotinoids and
pyrethroids have been shown
to negatively affect learning
behaviour, foraging activities
and nest site orientation by
honeybees.
Those who have important
bee-forage crops on their
lands should consider
allowing access to
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beekeepers in a controlled
manner, obviously communicating with the beekeepers
about any agro-chemical
regime on the land.
And gardeners should also
consider planting complementary crops (such as
lavender or basil) or rotate
land with legume crops that
are important bee-forage
resources.
One can also find out which
weeds are attractive to bees
(eg, wild radish, cosmos, etc),
so that some can be left for
the bees.