How adding an living roof to your garden room or house could help to save the Bees
It’s not been difficult to miss the buzz that has been going around at the moment about the decline in the Bee population in the UK and the rest of the world.
Without this important species we would….
o Struggle to feed our populations
o Struggle to decorate our gardens with all the wonderful flowers we do now
o Be unable to make some medicines
o Loose a vital natural antibiotic
o Be unable to have beeswax, which is a key ingredient for many products
We cannot underestimate the power of the Bee for the work it does in pollinating our crops, which provide us and the livestock we also rely on the food we eat. It's estimated that cross-pollination from bees helps 84% of the world’s food crops to grow. It is estimated that Bees globally are responsible for $170 billion worth of cross-pollination, which is a staggering amount for such a small creature.
So why is the Bee population in decline? According to the International Bee research Association most countries have lost approximately 30% of their bees this last winter and research shows that climate change, disease and a lack of flowers are the main causes. Farming and construction also has a big part to play with the loss of foraging grounds bees in terms of wild flower meadows and hedgerows. Some insecticides also used in farming can also be harmful to our favourite pollinators.
So how can adding a living roof to your garden room help the Bee population?
By providing more habitats and food sources for foraging bees. Bees collect pollen to feed the lave in the hives and feed themselves with Nectar. Flowers on the roof provide that food.
It is estimated that if all the buildings in London had a living roof that would make a huge difference to the Bee population of the UK.
Bees begin their foraging in the spring and will go right through to the autumn so its important that our gardens provide flowers and therefore food right the way through this important season. Your Sedum roof can contribute to this.
In June, July and August our living roof is a frenzy of Bee activity. It is always such a pleasure to see them buzzing about collecting pollen and feeding on the sweet nectar of the beautiful Yellow and White flowers that carpet our roof.
So by adding a living roof to your garden room not only is it more pleasing to our eyes but you are doing your bit in helping this unbelievably important species to survive.
