How Do Bee Gardens Help Bees?

Written by Sandy Porter
Updated: March 14, 2023
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You’ve probably heard folks saying that bees are dying off and the planet is responding poorly to this massive loss. Unfortunately, this is true in more ways than most of us care to think about. And the losses are much bigger than many of us even realize.

There are many reasons for the decline, including the immense use of pesticides in commercial growing, the hybridization of plants that typically would attract bees, deforestation, and many other human-created factors. The bee population is suffering, but so are human and animal food resources and the planet itself.

There are mixed reports on the exact numbers of bee losses, but it seems that about 40 to 45% is the national average in the past decade or less. This is a huge loss for many reasons, with some species now being placed on the endangered species list, pollination dropping drastically, and hives shrinking all over the world.

So, in the grand scheme of things, it may seem like a single bee garden can’t do much, but you’ll be happy to learn that you can make an impact in your own area with a small container or patio garden.

What is a Bee Garden?

Hylaeus hyalinatus. Macro of a yellow faced bee on a white flower with a yellow center. The bee is facing right. Its face is yellow however the rest of its body is primarily dark-brown-to-black. Its legs are banded between large bands of black and smaller bands of yellow. Isolate black background.

With the right plants and provisions, you can help bees survive and thrive.

©Jaco Visser/Shutterstock.com

Simply put, a bee garden is a garden designed specifically for bees and other pollinators. They are crafted carefully with the right kinds of plants and provisions that help bees thrive, like a water source and sheltering and nesting grounds. To learn more, please read the main article on the topic.

What is Pollination?

Honey bee collecting nectar from plum tree

A honey bee with pollen on its legs collects nectar from the flowers of a plum tree.

©iStock.com/undefined undefined

According to the USDA, pollination is: “the act of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma.” That is, plants may be either male or female and the pollen of the male needs to be brought to the female plant so that fruit will grow.

Plants, like other living things, create offspring. In most plants, the offspring is created through the seeds that are found in the fruit of the plants. This is the perpetuation of the species that all species need. We like to eat the fruit and often toss the seeds or plant them, but in the wild, the fruit may be carried off by birds or animals or eaten beneath the plant. The seeds are then dropped or carried off, as well, and may or may not be eaten. And thus, the circle of life, as Disney told us, continues.

There are self-pollinating plants that fertilize themselves and produce fruits. But for those fruits to be produced in other species, cross-pollination needs to occur (that is, pollination from plant to plant). And this is where bees and other pollinators come in. And how bee gardens help bees.

How Do Bees Benefit the Planet?

Bees benefit the environment in many different ways.

They Pollinate Much of the World’s Food Supply

apple tree

Bees pollinate a huge number of plants we rely on for our food supply.

©iStock.com/ablokhin

As mentioned above, some plants require cross-pollination. In many cases, those plants are the plants we eat. A huge number of fruits and vegetables that require pollination – like kiwi, apples, pears, and cherries – produce more when they are pollinated by bees.

Bees pollinate approximately one-third of the planet’s food supply.

They Pollinate Other Crops

Tansy is a fragrant member of the aster family

Tansy is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant that adapts well to indoor use – and bees frequently pollinate them.

©Dominicus Johannes Bergsma / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons – License

Additionally, bees and others pollinate the plants that create about half of the world’s fibers, oils, and raw materials, as well as herbs and medicinal plants.

They also help to provide the needed food for wildlife and farm animals and even help prevent soil erosion through their pollination.

They Help Plants Create Oxygen

Most of us already know that without plants, the Earth wouldn’t have enough good, clean oxygen for humans and mammals to breathe.

How Do Bee Gardens Help Bees?

Bee gardens provide a number of things that help protect bees.

Shelter

Homemade bee hotel

DIY bee hotels are easy to make, whether you’re “crafty” or not.

©Kaaca/Shutterstock.com

When bee gardens are properly designed, bee gardens help bees by providing them with shelter. This means temporary housing (often called bee hotels) and permanent nesting grounds. This is provided through various preparations that are easy for gardeners to do.

These sheltering spaces also provide bees areas that are safe for reproduction and rest, critical things for all living species.

Food

Bees use the pollen and nectar from plants to create royal jelly, the foods that they eat at various stages of life. When bee gardens are properly cared for and planted with the right plants, they provide local bees with loads of pollen and nectar that they often cannot find elsewhere.

Water

When properly outfitted, bee gardens also provide bees with much-needed clean, fresh water sources that are sheltered and safe. These are shallow pools of water, often with rocks and expanded clay in them, creating landing spots for bees to rest on while they drink.

How Do Bee Gardens Benefit the Planet?

A pollen covered ashy mining bee. The bee is center frame facing the camera. It is resting on a green leaf. The bee is covered in pollen. It is yellow all over.

Bees travel home, covered in pollen for the feeding of the hive and production of royal jelly and honey, in some cases.

©David James Chatterton/Shutterstock.com

The many reasons mentioned above – and others – have depleted the bee population of the planet. But in order for humans, animals, plants, and other creatures to survive, we all need bees and other pollinators. Honeybees, specifically, pollinate around one-third of all crops on the planet, and this doesn’t count the impact of other bee species around the world.

And because bees are at such high risk, we need more safe spaces for bees where they may find shelter, food, and water. This means bee gardens impact both the local environment and the entire planet, in small portions.

Are There Any Benefits for Bee Garden Keepers?

Southern Plains Bumblebee

Beautiful bee gardens help bees and their human gardeners alike.

©Lisa Basile Ellwood/Shutterstock.com

Bee garden keepers receive many benefits, as well, from keeping bee gardens.

  • Bee gardens are some of the most fruitful small garden spaces, thanks to the cross-pollination of the plants.
  • Bee gardens are healthy and colorful, vibrant places where gardeners may rest, relax, and enjoy the natural beauty of the world in a tiny, local corner of it.
  • Experts have conducted studies which show that keeping a garden can also help the mental health of gardeners. This isn’t necessarily specific to bee gardens, but the added bonus of the bright, vibrant, and fragrant flowers within the gardens absolutely bumps up the “wow” factor for the brain.
  • Knowing you’ve helped to make an impact on the local ecosystem can also be a great benefit. When we are able to help natural beings like bees and plants thrive, we naturally feel better. Knowing that we impact an area overall also benefits the mental well-being of an individual.
  • Depending on your commitment level and the equipment you spring for, you could possibly even enjoy some fresh made honey.

Can One Bee Garden Really Make a Difference?

Common Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Many bees love salvia, thanks for their fragrance and coloration.

©liewluck/Shutterstock.com

You might be wondering if your small garden could really make a difference for bees. The answer is yes! Studies conducted by universities have shown that small gardens, particularly those in urban areas, can actually dramatically impact the well-being of pollinator species around the world.

That means your little balcony bee garden or patio container pollinator garden could help to change the world in a positive way.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © David James Chatterton/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Sandy Porter is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering house garden plants, mammals, reptiles, and birds. Sandy has been writing professionally since 2017, has a Bachelor’s degree and is currently seeking her Masters. She has had lifelong experience with home gardens, cats, dogs, horses, lizards, frogs, and turtles and has written about these plants and animals professionally since 2017. She spent many years volunteering with horses and looks forward to extending that volunteer work into equine therapy in the near future. Sandy lives in Chicago, where she enjoys spotting wildlife such as foxes, rabbits, owls, hawks, and skunks on her patio and micro-garden.

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