Page 5 - Bumblebee Conservation Trust Member Magazine Spring 2020

Flower focus: Comfrey

Comfrey is a superb spring superfood
for many bumblebees. It’s a leafy
herbaceous perennial plant with
dangling clusters of white, pink or purple
tubular flowers. It provides pollen and
nectar for long-tongued bumblebees,
although determined short-tongued
bees often bite a hole at the base of the
flower to access the nectar. It’s also a
big hit with Hairy-footed flower bees
Early spring forage and the value of weeds This clump-forming plant is great for

covering bare ground although it can
Although there are fewer mouths to For the remaining time of the year, start to take over a bit. This shouldn’t
feed in the earlier part of the year, there be sure to keep the conveyor belt matter too much though as the leaves
are also fewer flowers around, which of blooms rolling to keep your local can be rotted down in a bucket or
means every flower counts. Well worth bumble colonies well-stocked. Ideally watering can to make a fantastic liquid
risking the wrath of your neighbours by with two or three options in bloom at feed for fruit trees and hungry flowers.
avoiding pulling up spring weeds – if any time, including deeper flowers for
anyone asks, you’re doing it for the longer-tongued bumbles.
bees! This is especially important if you Just starting out? Give your garden a bumble-boost this
are yet to establish many bee-friendly year with Bee kind - visit www.beekind.
plants in your growing space. Weeds Start off with two bumblebeeconservation.org and be sure
are fast food, quick to grow and flower, or three plants with to sign up to access free recommendations
which puts them at an advantage to a lengthy flowering to suit your garden’s growing conditions.
the majority of other (perhaps more period such as Thanks to feedback from our Bee kind
nutritional) plants which take a bit more community we are in the process of adding
time to flourish. winter flowering heathers, 80 new plants to our database. Some of
‘Bowle’s Mauve’ Wallflower,
Thinking ahead to providing nutritious lavender, and common marigolds these new additions still require images, so
if you can help, please send your images
bee-friendly blooms in future years… If (open type-only). These plants to beekind@bumblebeeconservation.
you’ve room, spring blossom trees like won’t break the bank and will give org
apples and cherries can be humming
with hundreds of hungry queens. Dwarf good coverage throughout the
trees are also great for smaller spaces year. Left: Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus
and containers. Other spring-time terrestris) on lavender by Delma Moore
favourites to include: winter and spring
flowering heathers, rosemary, bluebells, Coming soon . . . bumblebee nest survey
crocuses, snowdrops, primroses,
lungworts, dead-nettles (white and red), We are in the process of developing an online survey form for
flowering currants, pieris and our flower anyone who has a bumblebee nest in their garden or local area.
in focus, comfrey. If you happen to spot a nest, we would love to ask you a few
Photos (clockwise): snowdrops; Buff- questions to help improve our knowledge of different bumblebee
tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on species’ nesting habits. More to follow in the next Buzzword.
Crocus by Steve Trigg; pieris
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