We are supporting Radio 2 and the Royal Horticultural Society save the bees with their Big Bee Challenge of 2021.

At Bombus we are BIG on nature. After all, we work on a farm! And we know just how important it is to save the bees.

So why do we need to save the bees?

Bees play a critical role in our ecosystem.

As Pollinators

Bees are described as busy for a reason. They work tirelessly visiting flower after flower to feed itself and/or its hive. In doing so they cross pollinate most of the food we grow, and eat, in the process.

If we didn’t have the bees we would have to find new ways of pollinating our crops, which could not only be costly, it could lead to food shortages in many of the foods we see as essential to our daily diet.

Did you know...? Growing a peach tree in the UK is a good example of what it could be like without the bees. Because peach trees flower early, the UK is often too cold for the bees to have ventured out of hibernation. So if home growers want a good crop of peaches…the flowers sometimes have to be pollinated by hand! This means using a little paintbrush and individually transferring pollen from one peach flower to another.

As a key cog in the food chain

Without bees pollinating crops, much of our wildlife that relies on berries, nuts, and seeds would find a shortage of food. Domesticated animals would suffer too – for example, cows chew on alfalfa, which is pollinated by bees.

The Economy

The bee industry in the UK is HUGE! Not just in terms of producing honey for human consumption, but also in bees wax products.

However their biggest financial contribution is to the farmers, who without them would not be able to sustain their crops.

Biodiversity

We’ve all heard this buzzword a lot over the past few years. But it is a really important word. Biodiversity means that, in order for our planet to be healthy, we need it chokka bloc with a huge variety of plants and animals. The more we have, the better off we are and the stronger our eco system is. More trees grow, providing us with cleaner air. A greater variety of wildlife keeps our countryside alive and the food chain secure.

When bees visit a whole variety of crops and flowers, they enrich our environment.

There are so many resources when it comes to finding out how to help save the bees and why bees are SO important. We recommend visiting The Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Why  Brenley Farm needs to Save the Bees

Bombus is located on the utterly GORGEOUS Brenley Farm in Faversham.

It is a working farm, and the farmed land includes hops and vineyards, apples and pears, cereal crops and a horse livery. All of their crops rely on pollination from insects and bees.

And situated in the Kent Downs AONB, the walks around the countryside near our Oast House are simply stunning.

The farm is a super business, and as well as its day to day operations offers a fabulous Bed and Breakfast AND wedding venue.

Read all about it here, and you never know, you could be popping past Bombus on your way to your next countryside ramble.

Brenley Wine

Recently, Brenley Farm ventured into the world of wine making. And naturally, at Bombus we were delighted! So much so we wrote another blog where you can read all about it, The Home of the Bombus Studio - Bombus blog But the wine is so delicious we thought it deserved another mention.

After all, without the bees, there would be no Brenley Wine!

Wildlife at Bombus

We know we've been harping on and on about saving the bees...but they're not the only amazing visitors we have at our Oast House!

When we all come up the long drive on the way to work in the morning we're always dodging dopey pheasants, spotting hoards of goldfinches, and catching glimpses of thousands of butterflies. It's utter paradise.

And while it's not unusual to see bunnies and hares in the fields at dawn and dusk...this little mischief decided to stop buy and join us outside for a spot of lunch!

What is Bombus doing to Save the Bees?

Last year we turned our garden at the Oast House into a haven for insects and bumble bees. The lavenders and poppies we planted have flourished, and every day we are greeted by the gentle hum of the bumble bees in and out of the flowers.

But we wanted to do more. So this year we are supporting Radio 2 and the Royal Horticultural Society and their Big Bee Challenge of 2021. They have put together an initiative to encourage people to plant more wildflowers than ever in their gardens, and to leave a little bit of wilderness for nature. It’s a great challenge, and well worth getting involved in.

BBC Radio 2 - Radio 2's Big Bee Challenge

Our Help Save the Bees Promotion

So to help, we have offered to send you a FREE PACKET OF WILDFLOWER SEEDS with every Bee related purchase from Bombus....

But we've ALSO promised that with every packet of seeds we send to you, we will spread a little bit of magic at our Faversham Oast House.

For every packet we send you, we will sow the same seeds in our back garden. Doing our bit to help the biodiversity of our British countryside!

We’ve already sowed a whole host of seeds this summer, so by next year our garden should be full of native British wildflowers, perfect to help save the bees.

Any questions about our Save The Bees promotion? Get in touch, we love to chat!