Try your hand at spotting some bees in the Birley Sensory Garden, Community Orchard and the Woodland Area.
The Sensory Gardens contains a range of culinary herbs, including:
- Purple Sage, Salvia officinalis
- Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis
- Chives, Allium schoenoprasum
- Bay Leaf, Laurus nobilis
- Garden Thyme, Thymus vulgaris
- Lemon Thyme, Thymus x citriodus
- Creeping Thyme, Thymus serpyllum
- Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis
- English Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia
- Oregano, Origanum vulgare
- Bronze fennel, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’
These herbs are great for the kitchen but also provide some much needed forage for bees in the local area. It is often possible to spot bumblebees in the garden during the spring and summer months.
The Woodland Area contains some wildflowers, which are also great for bees and butterflies. Dead wood has been left as part of the management of the site and this provides fantastic habitat for many species, including some species of solitary bee who nest within it.
Hulme Community Garden Centre is home to several species of solitary bee as it provides many different types of flowers throughout the season as well as different nesting resources.