‘A visually captivating guide, essential for all bee enthusiasts and garden lovers.’
Jekka McVicar, award-winning herb garden designer and author‘Beautifully written and lavishly illustrated – this is surely the garden bee bible.’
Dr George McGavin, entomologist, broadcaster and author
Beekeeping has changed. While once it was a hobby that pursued the rich rewards of honey and wax, many beekeepers now instead seek the gratification of providing the right habitats and resources for both honey bees and wild pollinators.
Written and photographed by Richard Rickitt, a well-known beekeeper and co-editor of BeeCraft magazine, this lavishly illustrated guide to sustainable beekeeping shows today’s gardeners how to create beautiful gardens that are richly rewarding for people and bees alike. Flowers, shrubs, trees and vegetable plots can provide us with not only colour and delicious produce but also vital pollen and nectar for these important pollinators when they need it the most.
Beekeeping for Gardeners describes the best plants to grow and shows how to create habitats and nesting opportunities to suit the differing requirements of more than 270 species of native bee. It also explores the practicalities involved in keeping bees in gardens of all types and sizes, from rooftops and allotments to parks and farmland.
Whether you’re looking to install a beehive and harvest honey or to attract and support more wild bumblebees and solitary bees, this book contains all the advice you’ll need to create a garden buzzing with life.