How To Attract Bees
A couple of years ago I tried to grow eggplant for the first time. I have always grown my own vegetables but I never grew eggplant simply because I didn’t like it. That changed when I discovered how to cook it properly. I planted some seedlings and they quickly grew into large healthy bushes. They needed little attention and before I knew it they were full of flowers. I was looking forward to the great meals I was going to be able to cook when all the flowers dropped off. I could understand that a few would drop off but all of them? By the end of the season I got one very small eggplant from about 12 plants. Needless to say I was quite upset.
After a bit of research I discovered the reason for my failure was most likely that the flowers weren’t getting pollinated. I didn’t have any bees to do the job. I remember seeing a lot of bees in the spring but they then disappeared. The reason for this was quite simple - I didn’t have any flowering plants in the garden. All my spring flowers had died off and the bees went off with them. Another explanation could have been that it was a very hot summer and the bees didn’t have enough water. It seems they need to drink on a regular basis so if you want bees around then you should leave water out for them. Easier said than done when it’s 40 degrees outside.
If your vegetables aren’t getting pollinated due to a lack of bees then the solution is to plant flowers in and around your vegetable crops. Plant a variety of different flowers which are in bloom at different times of the year. This way you are more likely to have bees all year round. Also try to leave out little containers of water or create a water feature so the bees will have plenty to drink. This should be enough to keep bees around and have a successful crop.
This is in fact one of the main principles of good organic gardening - diversification. I wasn’t that interested in having a regular garden with lawn and flower beds, I just wanted to grow fruit and vegetables but flowers are important.
My top 10 plants for attracting bees are:
- Lavender
- Salvia
- Roses
- Daisies
- Nasturtium
- Borage
- Thyme
- Coriander
- Hebe
- Eucalyptus
The following summer I had a very successful crop of eggplant which was delicious in my favourite eggplant recipe which I got from Neil Perry.
Ingredients:
2 Freshly Picked Organic Eggplants
5 or 6 Cloves of Garlic (not sure if that was in the original recipe but it works for me)
Large Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
1 Tin of Tomatoes (or fresh if you have them)
Plenty of Olive Oil (precise, I know)
Method:
Thickly slice the eggplant and fry in plenty of olive oil. The temperature should be fairly high so the eggplant will brown and caramelise. As the eggplant starts to soften mash it slightly so it breaks up and becomes very well cooked and soft.
Add the finely chopped garlic and parsley and let it fry slightly.
Add the tinned tomatoes and little salt and pepper if you like. You can also add some chili as an alternative.
Once it is cooked through, serve it with fresh bread. This is a quick and easy recipe and is really delicious. It is one of my favourite meals. It is especially tasty if all the vegetables and organic and home grown.
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