Pruning – think of the bees and their importance!
Think about the bees when you prune your flowers!
Bees are an extremely valuable part of the ecosystem. In an article I found their importance is discussed and I’ve read numerous other sources that say the same thing. They are the pollinators for a great variety of our foods and without them we’d have to say goodbye to our apples, melons, cranberries, asparagus and many more items. Just Google “the importance of bees” and you will find many sources.
Personally, I have to admit that I’m a little scared of bees because of some nasty childhood experiences. But since I love flowers and growing my own herbs, vegetables and fruits I’ve learned over time to get used to them since I know the important job they do. And I keep in mind that they are just doing their jobs and aren’t really interested with you. If you don’t directly try to harm them (or get too close to their hive) they are quite happy to go about their business and leave you alone.
Thyme growth will improve if the flowers are trimmed of encouraging the plant to produce more vigorous leaves. I noticed however there was consistent traffic of quite a few of these pollinators visiting all day so I decided to leave about 1/3 of the plant with the blooms on. I’m sure the bees are happy about that.
There are a number of things we can do to help the environment without having to ‘wear leaves and live in caves’. This is one of my little ways I try to help. I’ve also planter lavender, bottlebrush, roses and more to help the bees along. I love the plants so I’ll just maintain my non-aggression pact with my little buzzing friends. Sometimes it’s the little things that can make all the difference.
Here’s a little more I wrote about growing your own herbs.
