Jean Vernon - All Comments

re: Trees for bees

Jean Vernon — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:34:06 GMT

That's brilliant news Lotusleaf. Thank you for your efforts. I know the bees would thank you themselves if they could. So here's a HUGE thank you from everyone who appreciates these wild and magical creatures. Bees are so precious and any that are surviving in the wild without human intervention may just hold the key to the survival of bees en masse.

THANK YOU. Perhaps you could ask the principal of the school to teach the children a little bit about how important bees are and what their role is in nature as pollinators. By showing them that people do care about bees and then relocating them somewhere safe, it would be a wonderful lesson for everyone. Let us know what happens PLEASE.

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Horticulture » Lost Worlds ... Paradise Regained | New York Social Diary — Sun, 31 May 2009 11:32:51 GMT

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re: Trees for bees

lotusleaf — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:29:50 GMT

The beehives are huge and made by wild bees. I shall talk to the principal of the school and try to pursuade her to let them be. Thanks for the suggestion. I have noticed that the beehives in India are also becoming less. It must be a worldwide phenomenon.If the school authorities insist on removing the hives, I'll contact the forest department to relocate them somewhere safe.

re: Trees for bees

Jean Vernon — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:32:47 GMT

What a shame, can you do anything to persuade them otherwise? Yes bees do sting, but usually when disturbed, provoked and although it hurts, it is rarely fatal (except for someone with an allergy). Bees are so precious and in such decline, here in the UK anyway, so anything any of us can do to save a colony or two is a major step forward. Do you have a local bee keeper that can take the hives away?? In the UK there is a surge in thefts of bee hives because they are so precious.

Have you got room for them? Are they wild bees or man made hives? Please, if you can rescue them it would be such a brilliant thing to do. Over a third of our food crops are pollinated by bees. We'd all love to know how you get on. It might only take a phone call or two, but you will make such a difference.

Hoping you can help.

re: Trees for bees

lotusleaf — Sat, 30 May 2009 09:42:54 GMT

Hello Jean,Thanks. What you said is right. There are a number of huge beehives hanging from a big school building 2km from my house. But I'm afraid the school authorities will destroy the hives as soon as the school reopens. They are scared that the bees might sting the children.

re: Trees for bees

Jean Vernon — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:04:51 GMT

Hello Lotus Leaf. Bees travel several miles in search of pollen and nectar, so even though you don't have a beehive there maybe one or more within their flying range. You may also be very lucky to have some wild bee colonies living near you that are pollinating your flowers. Here in the UK our beekeepers have seen tremendous losses in their bee colonies. At a recent bee keepers meeting I attended, over a third of the bee keepers had lost one hive or more over the last winter. Similar stories are being told across Europe. Gardeners can play a major part in supporting their local bees. It sounds like your garden has plenty of plant biodiversity to keep the local bees fed and watered. Great news. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

re: Trees for bees

lotusleaf — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:39:16 GMT

My garsen in India is full of flowers and plenty of bees throughout the year, but there is not a single beehive!

re: A matter of balance?

Jean Vernon — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:01:01 GMT

Hi Digger,

I think maybe you are trying too hard to fit everything into a formula. This was a totally alternative angle on horticulture, a tangent, another dimension, a bit of fun. James May is no garden designer, and I don't think anyone voting for it thinks that he is, but I think they liked the spirit of the 'garden'. It was radical, a little bit daring and not what they expected at the RHS Chelsea show. It got them talking, it got them thinking and maybe it took them back to whatever it was that got them interested in gardens in the first place. No it wasn't botanical (even though James protested that it was botanically correct!), it wasn't even a great piece of garden design, but it was making a statement about thinking outside of the box, that maybe, just maybe, very occasionally, some gardens don't need to have plants in them to be a garden?? Radical maybe, but it's food for thought.

re: A matter of balance?

Digger — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:42:09 GMT

I'm sorry to go on, but maybe I've missed the point? I just fail to see what the plasticine garden has got to do with horticulture or what it has /will contribute to horticulture, people may vote for it but how many of those people would engage james may to design their garden for them?

re: A matter of balance?

Jean Vernon — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:33:34 GMT

Thanks for your input Bogweevil. I am sure the team will be pleased that you liked it. Did you enjoy anything else at the show?

re: A matter of balance?

Jean Vernon — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:32:20 GMT

I agree with you Digger, I wouldn't want to see another Plasticine garden, but I think it has been a very interesting 'event' at Chelsea this year and judging by the people's vote they liked it too. I do feel it has overshadowed some fabulous gardens that deserved more coverage, but it has provided an alternative link between the RHS, Chelsea and the children who might not otherwise have been interested. Chelsea and Plasticine in the same sentence is possibly a first (and last), it's been done now, lets look forward to some fresh innovation at next year's show.

re: A matter of balance?

bogweevil — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:35:02 GMT

I liked it a lot - it is very funny, surreal even, and a lot more interesting that yet another iteration of the usual small garden themes. Boggy

re: A matter of balance?

Digger — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:51:35 GMT

Encouraging children to take an interest in horticulture is a good thing, we can all agree on that. But i hope we don't see any more of this nonsense at Chelsea again

re: Trees for bees

Jean Vernon — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:07:18 GMT

Hi Clarebell,

Did you mean one bee or three bees? Hope there are a few more than that in your garden.

Thanks for your comments.

re: Trees for bees

CLAREBELL — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:34:21 GMT

bees bees bees