The herbs in my garden are abuzz with bees. Not as many as in years past, but I do have them flitting from stamen to pistol and back again. They are attracted to the flowers of the catmint, dandelion and calendula right now in the Springtime. In Summer, they will find other sources for pollen like the aromatic flowering Linden tree in our front yard, and in Fall, I will count on the sedums and the purple butterfly bushes to be alive with the sounds of the bees. My herb gardens and plants depend on these pollinators.

I watch as they hover inside the large open red poppy petals. Sometimes one, two and as many as four at a time. They are dropping down, down to the very bottom center of the flower brushing up against the center collecting more and more black pollen, with fully packed sacks on their legs. Their buzzing draws me into their world–their focussed mission. A few bump into each other as their heavy bodies try to lift out of the oversized petals– dusted with pollen and leg sacs now full. They will find their way back to their home soon if they can get airborne. I help by pulling back a petal.

We don’t have active hive boxes at the moment due to a number of factors, but I do hope to fill them again. In the meantime, watching these sun beings go in and out of the flowers is mesmerizing. They are busy. I know they travel great distances to find sources. I am told three to five miles. I wonder where they go home to and if they are all from the same hive. The infamous waggle dance helps the other worker bees locate plants.

I have focused on making our backyard a place that is attractive not only to us, but to our bee friends. The yard has many dandelions (often considered the bees first food coming out of Winter). I have planted scrubs and fruit trees so that there is something year round for the bees. I depend on these pollinators–my life and my food and my business depends on their presence. Without bees, we would be in big trouble. Our food supplies would be threatened and some sources say we would have 4 years after the bees have gone to live. These times are calling for actions and I am called to help make my yard and our neighborhood a BEE SAFE place.

Planting bee friendly plants is not enough as some of them contain harmful pesticides. I was just informed that like cigarettes are addicting, the bees sadly are addicted to neonics (the pesticides that are applied to many of the potting plants sold in department stores) that are systemic and can wipe out whole hives or thousands of bees.

And while I do see many bees enjoying our plants, I am all too aware of the plight that faces these sensitive girls. They are our modern day canaries in the coal mine-alerting us to the impact of our choices and the overall health of our environment. I can not imagine a day I do not hear their buzz. A look around and I can sense that gloomy prediction unless we wake up to help make some changes in the way we are in relationship with our mother Earth. I have noticed fewer swarms and fewer bees over the years. It is indeed concerning. So what you can do? Join me and others and pledge to be BEE Friendly and pesticide free when buying plants and fertilizing them. I care a lot about what goes in and on our bodies and it is the foundation of my Blair’s Herbals business too.