Bee Nice Advice

With the various types of pesticides and genetic modified plant materials being sold today, bees are having a rough go at it trying to survive in today's environment. There are a number of native plant materials ( Southern Calif. in this example ) that can help encourage bees to hang around and flourish in our landscapes and gardens. Here are a list of some native plants and a few tips that were shared recently by some of the best native landscape designers and nursery experts in Southern Calif.
* Shrubs & plants:
Salvia's - Eriogonum - Solanum hindsianum -Mariola - Sambucus mexicana - Goldenrod - Poppies - Palo verde - Honeysuckle - Many other flowering type plants.
Other ideas & tips:
* Provide some water. Fountains,bog areas.
* Create bee condos: Utilize cut lengths of bamboo by tying them together then hanging them from overhang areas.
* Landscape Structural Tips: Leave some bare dirt areas so the native bees can create tunnels to live in. Try not to mulch every square inch of your project site. The bare soil creates  what one Native Plant Designer  Rob Moore (www.californianativelandscapedesign) calls "Nest Cells" for the bees.
By incorporating some of the shared tips and installing some of the listed plant materials it is possible you can do your part to help maintain and increase our vital bee population.