I found these little visitors a couple of days ago

[Chomerly]

Its really pleasing to see them around again as i haven't seen them in my garden for a couple of years.
They are absolutely loving my Sage and Thyme plants at the minute as they are in full bloom right now.
I also have a couple of fuchsia plants growing wild in my garden that they are loving too.

Being a new member of the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife trust now, i'm hoping i can do more to help these little guy's in the future.
There is a council owned/run island planter near me that i would love to take over and get some wild and bee friendly flowers planted into but as we know, negotiations with councils can take forever.
Maybe i should organise a guerilla growers movement and get people to plant flowers in places the council won't.

[Two_Sheds]

The bees are still only sporadic over here too, and normally my plot is a-buzzing in June. It's just been told cold.

There're usually enough food plants for them in the summer when people are planting up their gardens. It's early flowering plants they struggle with, and there's definitely a case for councils to adjust their verge-mowing regimes.
Our council prefers shaved brown verges rather than seeing a single daisy or dandelion in flower: plants which produce crucial pollen & nectar for our insects

[Rustybean]

I found a newly dug hole in rhubarb patch - it was the badgers trying to get at a bumblebee nest - they ( bees that is) have survived and now I can just see their nest, great to watch them busy flying to the runner beans !

[Chomerly]

I found a newly dug hole in rhubarb patch - it was the badgers trying to get at a bumblebee nest - they ( bees that is) have survived and now I can just see their nest, great to watch them busy flying to the runner beans !

Have you considered erecting some kind of protective fencing around the hole where the nest is?
Maybe some kind of covering to protect it from the weather?
They are worth saving if the opportunity arises that's for sure.

[Rustybean]

they are protected by a sheet of galvanised iron, seem happy

[Chomerly]

Over the past few dry and sunny days that we've had, i've noticed that there has been an abundance of bee's visiting my garden.
They are really attracted to my Sage plant at the moment and they are also taking a liking to the flowering Thyme plant.

I took these pictures a couple of days ago and managed to get them uploaded today.
I've seen a few differing species of different sizes but these have to be the best images i've taken so far.

Enjoy.

[frogga]

We have a huge bees nest in our porch roof, the buzz of the bee is just fantastic, and as a result no mowing so they can use the clover and buttercup flowers.

[veggiechicken]

I have a cotoneaster near the kitchen window and it is alive with bees. The flowers are tiny and quite insignificant but they're a real bee magnet! The bush itself is quite boring but it earns its keep by attracting bees now and birds later in the year to eat the berries.
If you can only plant one thing to attract wildlife, this is the one

[Two_Sheds]

I haven't found any bumble nests yet this year, but I'm sure they're out there somewhere.
I'm waiting for a wet Tuesday, so my school garden club can make some more nestboxes.

This one is at Holt Hall's walled garden: fully booked, a couple of residents have already checked out

[binley100]

Bees are lovin' the peas

[Chomerly]

I have some peas that have just started flowering though they are very small in size considering they were planted in May.
It'll be interesting to see what happens once they have flowered.

[Madasafish]

Lots of bees here: