Woodman, woodman spare that tree!..............As mile upon mile of flowering hedges have been torn up in favour of brick walls and wooden fence panels on sprawling sub-urban estates, bee numbers have declined. Coincidental? The privet allowed to grow tall and flower will attract and nourish honey bees throughout July. When flowering has finished, usually mid August, you can reshape the bush.
Post script
WARNING! Having now read the wikipedia entry for 'privet', the following caution should be added.
PRIVET IS POISONOUS TO HORSES! Whilst privet is of value to bees during flowering and the later berries attract flocks of contented birds,
care should be taken where it is planted. Clippings from Yew, another popular hedging shrub suited to sculpting into ornamental shapes, are also poisonous to livestock. Everything has its place.
Tags: Photo journalism
Flowers and plants
Wildlife and nature
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wonkers, Chinga, M_squared and 3 more
