The Magnificent Bee
Bees are vital to successful agriculture and you may find several different types of bees in your home garden. It’s a fact that bees pollinate 80 percent of fruits and vegetables by transferring pollen from one flowering plant to another. This starts fertilization that helps the plant grow seeds that turn into the food we eat.
We all learn in school about pollination and its importance to the ecosystem. To refresh, it works like this: the transfer of pollen from the stamen, or male part of the flower to the pistil, the female part of the flower results in the formation of a seed. Hybrids are created when the pollen from one kind of plant is used to pollinate a new variety of plant.
When you work in your own garden, you may see several different types of bees. In southern California alone, there are over 80 known species of bees. Throughout the world, estimates range from between 20,000 to 30,000 different species.
Most of us are familiar with honey bees and how they build big nests full of honey combs. Native bees on the other hand do not live in hives and do not produce honey but they have equally important roles in gardens and natural ecosystems. This website is dedicated to the bee and gives you helpful information about native bees in urban areas and their habits so that you can nurture the bee’s knees of gardens.
The bee has many colleagues in the pollen business: hummingbirds, butterflies, other flying insects and even bats. Your garden is their habitat providing food and shelter for these and other earth creatures. Growing a garden in an urban setting is challenging but with careful cultivation, your garden will attract bees and other insects. With some plant varieties, pollination is required so the plant will produce viable seeds and mature flowers.
Bee populations around the world have declined over the past several years. There are many reasons for this such as disease, loss of habitat and global warming. City dwellers can help, each in their small way, by growing gardens that provide flower food for bees. This website is for urbanites interested in creating an outdoor space that will attract bees. Even this can help in the reproduction and ultimate survival of bees and other insects. Whether it’s in your backyard or container growing on your apartment balcony, this website has many suggestions and ideas on how you can help the environment by making a home for the magnificent bee.
