Celebrating World Bee Day: welcoming bees into our gardens

Each year, on May 20th, we celebrate World Bee Day, a moment to raise awareness of the vital role that bees and other pollinators play in keeping our ecosystems thriving and our food systems resilient. Designated by the United Nations, World Bee Day reminds us that protecting bees is not just about saving a single species—it’s about sustaining biodiversity, supporting agriculture, and securing our future.

Bees are indispensable. These small, buzzing pollinators play a critical role in the survival of our ecosystems.  

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities. According to the United Nations, nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

Without bees, we would lose many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts that make up a healthy diet—not to mention the flowers that bring colour to our gardens. 

Yet, bee populations are in decline, threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and disease. This BBC report shows us the grim reality of what it would be like if bees were extinct. 

This is where gardeners, growers, and communities can make a difference. By cultivating spaces that welcome bees, we help to protect them—and in turn, they help our plants to grow.

One of the best ways to support bees is to grow pollinator-friendly plants. Choose native wildflowers and nectar-rich blooms such as lavender, foxglove, borage, marjoram, and sunflowers. Herbs like thyme, mint, and chives are also beloved by bees. Aim to have something in bloom from early spring to late autumn, offering bees food throughout the seasons.

To further support your local bee population, avoid chemical pesticides, let part of your garden grow wild, and create water sources like shallow dishes with pebbles for them to land on.

At CoirProducts.co.uk, we’re proud to support sustainable, bee-friendly gardening. Our range of peat-free coir products—from coir pots and coircoins to Coir Vital Grow potting mix—are all natural, biodegradable, and great for starting seeds and nurturing plants. Our coir-based products not only provide excellent drainage and aeration but are also kinder to the planet and its pollinators.

This World Bee Day, let’s remember the quiet but powerful role bees play in our lives. Whether you’re growing a garden, tending an allotment, or starting seeds on a windowsill, every flower counts. 

By choosing sustainable materials and planting with pollinators in mind, we can all help bees to thrive—one bloom at a time.