Ray's Florist Floral Web at RHS Hampton court palace flower show

Ray’s Florist presents a time-lapse of a project that two of the florists from our shop created for a competition at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018. The title is ‘Floral Web’ and Jasmine created designs which were realised in the form of a nature inspired wild garden that features a web promoting pollinating insects. The Enchanted Bee Garden uses an abundance of flowers that attract insects and the piece aims to also provide information about the declining bee populations in the UK and ideas on how to help them.

See below for more information on how you can help!

Key Florists: Jasmine Bicknell and Natalie Jarrett
Help from Andy and Amber Bardell

Video Edited by Amber Bardell, you can find more from her here:
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https://www.facebook.com/amberbardell...

Music from Jukedeck - create your own at http://jukedeck.com

You can still see the piece at the flower show until the 8th July 2018
Jasmine has always appreciated the help of bees, as a florist, and found this an instant opportunity to raise awareness. In this leaflet, you can find ways to benefit the decreasing British bee population with the beauty of plants and flowers.

Bees have a huge role in supporting our daily lives, for such small insects they are really very important and often go unnoticed or are seen as a pest. Here are some ways that bees impact your daily life for the better:

• They are pollinators, this means that in short, they bring food to your table. Bees pollinate flowers which is an important process for plants to produce fruit and vegetables. Without them, farmers would spend billions on pollination which would mean food prices rise and our economy would suffer.
• Bees show signs of a healthy environment, pollinating wildflowers and plants in the garden so that they flourish
• Bee friendly spaces are also beneficial for us, we share their need for varied natural green spaces as well as helping provide us with clean air and water.

Over 270 species of bee have been recorded in Great Britain and since 1900, we have lost 13 species. A further 36 are under threat of extinction and will cause a decline in all the wonderful benefits listed above.

So why are species declining?
• Loss of habitat. urbanisation and intensive farming mean they lose the diverse sources of food required for a healthy diet as well as stable places to nest that are found in their natural environments.
• Climate change is also a factor and like many animals, bees are struggling to adapt to the fast changes in the climate.
• Many Pesticides are harmful to bees
A variety of impacts in combination can be extremely detrimental for the bee populations here and there are ways you can help them thrive again!
Turn the page for how …

How you can help:

Create Wild spaces!
These are important as they contain foliage that absorbs harmful gases, something that is increasingly important in our changing climate. Many plants and trees also release Oxygen which provides us with cleaner air. Natural areas also absorb excess water and heat and can lovely places for people to explore and relax.

Only use bee friendly pesticides and garden products – natural is always better so check the label says it’s good for bees!

Choose local honey – the best way to help British bees is by buying local, this is both sustainable consumerism and reducing food miles as well as giving more exposure to the importance of British bees



Plants that are bee friendly:

Spring
Pussy Willow, Apple & Crab-apple trees, Bluebells, Daffodils, Rosemary, Rhododendron, forget-me-nots, primrose, crocus, hyacinth
Summer
Lavender, Hawthorn, Dahlias, Alliums, Buddleia, Catmint, Foxgloves, cornflower, aster, thistles, fuchsia, thyme, borage, oregano, raspberry plants, clematis, mint
Autumn
Abelia, Honeysuckle, blackberry bushes, heather, sage, stonecrop, sedum,
Winter
Mahonia, Ivy, snowdrop, some typed of heather, honeysuckle, clematis and other flowering plants are late and perfect for giving bees some support all year round!


All of these look gorgeous and support bees! Many herbs and fruit plants also have beneficial flowers for bees and you will be rewarded with the produce so are particularly beneficial to grow. You can have plants wherever you live – a simple window box in an urban environment will be greatly appreciated and bring some brightness too. Community gardens and green spaces are equally as important as your own back garden, so encourage others to create habitats for bees too!