We need bees and other useful insects and pollinators to produce colourful garden displays and tasty fruit! Fruit tree blossom produces a light fragrant honey too!
If you already have fruit trees in your garden, you’ve probably noticed lots of bee activity which is great. If you’re thinking of planting fruit trees, they’ll not only give you homegrown food but also provide a natural habitat and food source for wildlife. Pollinators, particularly honeybees, love fruit trees so why not think about adding some new fruit trees to your garden to help its ecosystem!
The best fruit trees to attract bees are peach, plum and nectarine.
To keep bees busy all year round, planting fruit trees that bloom and fruit at different times help to provide a more sustainable source of food. You’re also more likely to receive visits from a variety of bees as they can eat and be active at different times. Plum trees tend to bloom in late winter to early spring with fruit ripening from early May all the way through to September. Nectarine and peach trees tend to flower early in the year with fruit being ready in July for early varieties. Later varieties will see fruit produced through August and early September.
During the warm, summer months apple and cherry trees are a fantastic choice for attracting bees. The majority of varieties perform well during the hotter weather and will keep bees interested during the earlier part of the growing season. Cherry trees, in particular, make for a brilliant addition as they are usually quite large with lots of flower buds, attracting a large number of bees.
Below are other examples of how we can help our friendly pollinators.
1. Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees
2. Let your garden grow wild
3. Don’t cut your grass regularly
4. Don’t disturb insect nest and hibernation spots
5. Think carefully about whether to use pesticides