The Crafty Cultivator

Its cold and windy and snowy and very very wintery outside, so you may be wondering why I am posting about bees in January? (Okay, when I wrote this, it was cold and gross out, but we are currently in the midst of a lovely chinook and it was +7 out today!)

Well, because I have the Spring Fever.

Also, last year I noticed a few drowned bees in a bucket of water I had left laying around. Clearly they were thirsty and ended up drowning. So here we are at dreaming about spring and summer, and thinking of the bees.

Beside my shed is my flower bed. I have Delphiniums and Lupins that the bees visit every night (and probably during the day while I’m at work) in the summer. I also have a selection of annual flowers, and am trying to get foxglove and hollyhocks established. I have a few “bee flowers” that I want to try and get in this space this summer too. So this is the perfect spot for my bee waterer.

I stopped at the dollar store the other day, and they have already started to put some gardening things out. This is dangerous territory for me. I already stocked up on some bamboo canes that they carry. They also had some of these little pot rings. I picked one up, and a terracotta saucer. In the saucer goes some marbles or rocks. This is what will prevent the bees from drowning if they stop for a drink. Then I just attached the metal pot ring onto the side of the shed right by the Delphiniums and Lupins.

When I’m watering my garden, I will just have to keep the water topped up and clean…Which will prevent any mosquitoes from abusing this small amount of standing water.