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There are millions of bees on earth. Of the 20,000 different species of bees on earth, only a little more than 250 species are native to Britain. Furthermore, most of the species in Britain are the single pringles of the bee world, solitary bees. Solitary bees do not produce honey and tend to be more mild-mannered than other types of bees. Apis mellifera, is the only species of bee that makes honey in Britain and their hives are mostly kept and maintained by beekeepers. Wild hives of honeybees are a rarity.What may surprise you is that honeybees’ ability to produce the sweet and sticky stuff isn’t really correlated with how effective they are as pollinators. Actually, solitary bees bear the buzzing bell when it comes to pollination, so it’s important to give them just as much attention. All species of bees, however, regardless of their characteristics, have been suffering from decline in recent decades due to environmental changes and the use of pesticides.The average gardener can do a lot to support the bee population and reduce some of the effects of bee decline. Bees of course need pollen and nectar to have a healthy diet so filling your garden with plants that can provide them with that like buddleias is the easiest way to support them. Avoiding the use of pesticides is another good thing to do. If you want to go further, you can buy or build a bee nest box for solitary bees to nest in. However you decide to do it every small action helps with the maintenance of our precious pollinators.

Oh What a Glorious Thing to Bee

small tree growing with sunshine in garden. eco concept

With a seed tray you can make almost any garden you desire in minature. These little gardens can make your desk look less drab, or add some joy to your coffee table. Another fun idea might be to create a version of your actual garden in miniature and put it in a prominent place in said garden, as a kind of green mise en abyme, which would likely delight anyone who noticed it.&nbsp;What might you need to get to make your seed tray garden? First things first, you’re going to need to get a seed tray deep enough to contain your creation. And don’t go mixing up plug trays with seed trays. Plug trays have compartments that can hinder the flow of your design. Staples of schoolroom craft, like wooden dowels and lolly sticks are very useful for building little structures like model pagodas and sheds, they also make nice pathways. If you don’t confident building your own structures, there are a number of items for dollhouse gardens to choose from. For grass, a bit of miniature turf can go a long way, this is better than using real grass because it is easier to shape and of course it stays green. Moss is an alternative natural way to make a tiny lawn as well, just remember to keep it under control.&nbsp; Now we’ve covered the lawn and landscaping part, it’s time to look at what plants may be good for small gardens. Mini cactuses can survive with little water and in tough conditions and so can sedums so they're a great bet. Saxifrage is very pretty and works well if you want a splash of floral colour. All you have to do is avoid plants with huge leaves or blooms and use a dash of imagination.&nbsp;

Paradise in a Tray

The Wars of the Roses (the name of which is Walter Scott’s coinage) tore through England during the 15th century and inspired some of Shakespeare’s history plays. To give a potted history of the conclusion of the conflict, Henry VII gained his crown at Bosworth Field and kept it on his head in the Battle of Stoke Field. Here the era of medieval warlordism proper ended and the seeds of a new age where the pen and the sword could be used in tandem to maintain power were sown. But something else came into existence after the bloodshed ended, the Tudor rose. This merging of the red Lancaster rose, and white York rose served as a powerful symbol of the union of the two houses through the marriage of Henry VII a Lancaster, and Elizabeth of York a Yorkist. The then new undivided house of Tudor went on to stand for 118 years.Strangely enough, there is a great deal more evidence for the use of the York rose by Yorkist kings, than there is for Lancaster kings using the Lancaster rose as an emblem before Henry VII. There is a whisper of a suggestion about Margaret Beaufort, the formidable mother of Henry VII, using the red rose as an emblem but nothing particularly conclusive. The Tudors were not above using propaganda to tinker with public opinion. If there were no clear symbol of the red rose, then it would be expedient to create such an emblem because without it there could be no Tudor rose.But what type of rose were the Yorks, Lancasters, and Tudors attempting to depict? Many roses depicted in heraldry are stylised versions of wild roses. So, perhaps next time you see a wild rose you will think of England and the Wars of the Roses.

Going Through the Wars

Aqua Symphony: Dance of Droplets in Automatic Lawn Irrigation

You may think that it’s a good idea to water your lawn at the height of the day when it seems that it will be at its thirstiest, but this is not necessarily the case.Believe it or not the best time to water your lawn is around six in the morning before the sun comes up, but if you don’t fancy waking up with the larks to do your watering, just make sure you do it before ten in the morning. And remember to water only if it hasn’t rained hard as water logging isn’t good for lawns.Doing this should prevent scorching and keep your lawn looking lush for the whole season.Look at these posts for more watering related tips:1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://gardensandlawnmowersbyclive.com/blog/waterblogged" href="https://gardensandlawnmowersbyclive.com/blog/waterblogged">Waterblogged</a>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://gardensandlawnmowersbyclive.com/blog/erring-when-watering-is-human" href="https://gardensandlawnmowersbyclive.com/blog/erring-when-watering-is-human">Erring When Watering is Human</a>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-mce-href="https://gardensandlawnmowersbyclive.com/blog/the-rime-of-the-ancient-gardener" href="https://gardensandlawnmowersbyclive.com/blog/the-rime-of-the-ancient-gardener">The Rime of the Ancient Gardener</a>

When to Water Your Lawn

There are many different species of aphid that can flourish in a garden. These little phloem sap sucking creatures can be a useful snack for several creatures but can become a problem if they colonise a plant. Two of the most important things to note are that not all the aphids you may find in your garden are green, they can be orange, red, and black too, and that aphids will not necessarily kill a plant outright, but they may cause it to become disfigured or damaged because of the viruses that aphids can pass on. Though in certain cases, a plant may die or need to be removed and destroyed if the infestation is severe. In terms of aphid control nature can take of that because of the number of aphid predators (as mentioned above) present in your average garden; with ladybirds being a common example of a creature that enjoys an aphid feast. If a small area of a plant is affected, you can spray the aphids with water from a hose or a spray bottle to rinse them off, or flick them off and crush them.&nbsp; Honeydew, a sticky clear secretion aphids leave on leaves that can cause mildew to appear on them is another issue. Aphids are not the only honeydew creating creatures so be sure to look for signs to rule out an infestation of another bug. Once you know that you’re dealing with aphids, prune away any effected growth and clean up any remaining effected areas with insecticide if necessary. And always remember to sterilise your tools to prevent the spread of infection.&nbsp; And that’s it for today’s minute about how to temper the aphid pest problem in your garden.&nbsp;

Where the Aphid Sucks

Summers often bring with them a deluge of flies and this can be an aggravation for those who enjoy dining al fresco. If your garden is generally clean and tidy, and you manage your compost heap properly by aerating, and using the right mixture of organic material in it, and you still struggle with flies you may need to try something else. For extra help with your fly problem that's gentler than chemical treatments, try planting a good number of herb plants, or citronella in your garden. It’s also easy to make homemade traps with something sweet like sugar or honey, and a jar or a plastic bottle.&nbsp; Failing all of this this you can construct a Calliphoridae vomitorium to ensure that flies can exit your garden as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this only works on flies that wear togas and enjoy terrible jokes.&nbsp; More seriously, on the positive side, flies can be great pollinators especially of some of the fouler smelling plants in a garden. Blowflies have even been used to help with pollination in the production of food crops in some places. Though we wouldn’t recommend creating the conditions in a domestic garden to reap the full benefits of fly pollination. That would be a tad horrifying.&nbsp; And that’s our minute for today, come back for a minute on Aphids, that formidable enemy of gardeners.&nbsp;

Gardens and Mowers by Clive

The Gardens and Mowers Minutes

Oh What a Glorious Thing to Bee

Paradise in a Tray

Going Through the Wars

When to Water Your Lawn

Where the Aphid Sucks

Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me