“If honeybees die out, humans will follow a few years later”
Albert Einstein
Celebrate World Bee Day: How Gardeners Can Help Our Pollinators Thrive
May 20th is World Bee Day, a time to celebrate our bee friends who work tirelessly to pollinate plants, support food production, and keep ecosystems healthy. This International Day of Awareness was established by the United Nations to highlight the vital role bees—and other pollinators—play in sustaining life on Earth.
Why Bees Matter
Bees pollinate over 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about 35% of global food crops. Without them, many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts we enjoy would disappear. But bee populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and disease.
That’s where we come in.
How Gardeners Can Help Bees
You don’t need a huge field to make a difference. Even a small raised bed or a few containers on a patio can become a bee haven with the right choices. Here’s how you can support bees right in your own garden:
🌼 Plant bee-friendly flowers
Choose a mix of herbs, vegetables, and flowers that bloom at different times of the year. Some favorites include lavender, borage, calendula, thyme, and sunflowers.
🚫 Skip the pesticides
Many chemical pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, are harmful to bees. Instead, use organic pest control methods like interplanting and encouraging beneficial insects.
🌿 Let some herbs flower
Bolting cilantro, chives, basil, and dill provide excellent food sources for bees—so resist the urge to tidy up too quickly.
🏡 Provide shelter
Leave a few bare patches of soil for ground-nesting bees, and consider adding a bee hotel for solitary species.
💧 Offer water
Place a shallow dish of water with pebbles in your garden so bees can safely drink without drowning.
Small changes in your garden can have a big impact. This World Bee Day, let’s celebrate by planting with purpose and giving back to the pollinators who give us so much.
🐝 Happy Bee Day !
And “Just Bee Cause” You’re “So Sweet” I would like to offer these free downloadable note cards. Write a note on the back and tuck them into a gardening friends gift. Leave them blank, tie several with a pretty ribbon and give in a gift basket.
There are a set of 3. Download each one below.