Tag: flowers
April flowers
The days are lengthening and queen bumblebees are stirring from hibernation. Here in Warwickshire, we have seen winter-active Buff-tailed Bumblebees for much of the winter, but the first emerging queen bumblebee we observed was a Tree Bumblebee about 4 weeks ago. This … Continue reading
Steven’s blog – bumblebee ID and farewell
It’s 11th January 2018 as I write this, sadly my last day of work for the Blooms for Bees project (though I will stay in touch with the project and continue to support Gemma and Judith in any way I … Continue reading
Steven’s blog – Citizen science
In recent years, a growing number of projects and organisations have been engaging members of the public in research as ‘citizen scientists’. This often takes the form of activities such as, conducting experiments, completing surveys, or in the case of … Continue reading
Steven’s Blog – Autumn bumblebees and findings from our app so far
Well, it’s already mid-September, which means that the bulk of this year’s records have come in and we are able to see some of the emerging patterns (though more detailed number-crunching will take place over the winter). There is very … Continue reading
Bee-friendly container plant trials
This summer, the Blooms for Bees project and our partners at The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are investigating the use of Chaenostoma (also known as bacopa or sutera) and bird’s foot trefoil as bee-friendly container plants. Many traditional bedding and container plants … Continue reading
Steven’s Blog – Verifying your bumblebee surveys
This blog coincides with the four-week anniversary of me officially joining the Blooms for Bees team as their expert verifier. My main role is to check your photos and convert them into verified sightings that Blooms for Bees can analyse … Continue reading
Hannah’s blog – using the Blooms for Bees app
One of my jobs this summer is to carry out timed observations of our bee-friendly bedding plant trials using the Blooms for Bees app. Initial bumblebee activity on the three colours of Dahlia ‘Mignon’ has not yet been as buzzy … Continue reading
Foliar feeding trial fieldwork
Over the summer of 2017, we are working in partnership with Hozelock to determine whether foliar feeding can increase floral abundance, nectar and pollen quantity and quality, and find out whether this relates to increased bumblebee visitation. We are growing 48 tubs … Continue reading
Introducing Hannah, our intern
I’m Hannah Murphy, and I have just completed my first year as a Biological and Forensic Sciences student at Coventry University. Over the summer, I will be working as an intern on the Blooms for Bees project’s bedding plant trials … Continue reading
Our latest publication
In 2013 we carried out a small study with 38 Garden Organic members, to explore the potential of a public survey to generate novel data on bumblebee foraging in gardens and allotments. The results of this study are now available … Continue reading
About nasturtiums
This summer, we are working with Hozelock to explore whether foliar feeds can improve nectar and pollen provision for bees. For this trial we will be growing tubs of nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) and have selected the compact, non-trailing variety ‘Ladybird’. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum … Continue reading
Designing the Blooms for Bees border
Over the summer of 2016, Blooms for Bees installed a new flower border at Ryton Organic Gardens near Coventry. We wanted to create a flower-filled area that would provide food for bumblebees and other insect pollinators, for as much of … Continue reading