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Brigit's bee friendly garden in Shaftesbury, Dorset

Brigit Strawbridge has made a tiny garden with bees and other pollinators in mind. Plant choices are made to provide such vital and fascinating insects with nectar year round, using a mix of flower shapes to suit different species. There are 24 species of bumblebee and 225 species of solitary bee in the UK. She also provides habitats for wildlife including a pond, bug hotels and piles of stones. Brigit campaigns and educates on the issue of bees and their dwindling numbers and writes a blog on this and other environmental issues: beestrawbridge.blogspot.co.uk

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Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens', honeywort.
Limnanthes douglasii, the poached egg plant.
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Stachys byzantina 'Big Ears' planted specifically for the wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum.
White aquilegia.
Bee on bugle flowers.
Lamium orvala.
Bee on comfrey.
Bee on Allium cristophii.
Bee on a hardy geranium flower.
Old galvanised bucket and watering can amongst Lamium orvala.
Nest boxes for birds amongst ivy.
Bird feeder.
Home made bug-houses for solitary bees and other insects.
Home made bug-houses for solitary bees and other insects.
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Double red aquilegia.
Hardy geraniums.
Centaurea montana, the perennial cornflower.
Hardy geraniums.
Forget-me-nots.
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum.
Allium cristophii.
Bee bricks, for solitary bees to make their nests in, on a brick wall surrounded by ivy.
Brigit Strawbridge's tiny bee friendly courtyard garden in St James', Shaftesbury, planted with wildlife in mind, particularly bumble and solitary bees. Insect friendly plants include chives, stachys, forget-me-nots and hardy geraniums.
Brigit Strawbridge's tiny bee friendly courtyard garden in St James', Shaftesbury, planted with wildlife in mind, particularly bumble and solitary bees. Insect friendly plants include centaurea, aquilegias, forget-me-nots, ivy and hardy geraniums.
A group of containers including a wheelbarrow, a belfast sink and tin olive oil containers in the centre of the garden are planted with insect friendly plants including chives, marigolds, alliums and hardy geraniums.
A group of containers including a wheelbarrow, a belfast sink and tin olive oil containers in the centre of the garden are planted with insect friendly plants including chives, marigolds, alliums and hardy geraniums.
A group of containers including a wheelbarrow, a belfast sink and tin olive oil containers in the centre of the garden are planted with insect friendly plants including chives, marigolds, alliums, Stachys byzantina 'Big Ears' and hardy geraniums.
A group of containers including a wheelbarrow, a belfast sink and tin olive oil containers in the centre of the garden are planted with insect friendly plants including chives, marigolds, alliums and hardy geraniums.
A group of containers including a wheelbarrow, a belfast sink and tin olive oil containers in the centre of the garden are planted with insect friendly plants including chives, marigolds, alliums and hardy geraniums.
A pond is an important part of any wildlife garden, here surrounded by marsh marigold, bugle, chives and foxgloves.
A pond is an important part of any wildlife garden, here surrounded by marsh marigold, bugle, chives and foxgloves.
Brigit Strawbridge's tiny bee friendly courtyard garden in St James', Shaftesbury, planted with wildlife in mind, particularly bumble and solitary bees. Insect friendly plants include alliums, chives, centaurea, forget-me-nots and hardy geraniums.
Brigit Strawbridge's tiny bee friendly courtyard garden in St James', Shaftesbury, planted with wildlife in mind, particularly bumble and solitary bees. Insect friendly plants include alliums, chives, centaurea, forget-me-nots and hardy geraniums.
Brigit Strawbridge at the door of her rented cottage in the historic Pump Yard, St James', Shaftesbury, surrounded by plants.
Insect friendly plants around Brigit Strawbridge's front door in the historic Pump Yard include forget-me-nots, Limanthes douglasii, the poached egg plant, and Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'.
Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens', honeywort.
Home made bug-houses for solitary bees and other insects.
Brigit Strawbridge's tiny bee friendly courtyard garden in St James', Shaftesbury, planted with wildlife in mind, particularly bumble and solitary bees.
all images copyright Carole Drake