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JULY
2022
Home Counties Loft Ladders, Quality You Can Trust! These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Home Counties Loft Ladders come in. The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50sqft of boarding and in less than a day from just £444! But it’s not just the affordability of the package that makes Home Counties Loft Ladders stand out, as manager Jamie Oakley explains: ‘Our
watchwords are Quality, Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages tradesmen, so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford.
- that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles. At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for
every installation we carry out!’ So, if you want to make use of your loft space, call Jamie free on 0808 301 9559 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!
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Volunteer Opportunities Martin Lewis Prize Crossword Kempston Park Indoor Bowling Club What’s On Bedford Festival Fringe Forest of Marston Vale – Solitary Bees Gardening Last Months Crossword Answers
Contents
Community News
4&6
Don’t forget to check out our website
www.bedslifemagazine.co.uk
for even more local articles and lots of interesting and helpful local information! LIKE our Facebook page BedsLife Magazine to keep up to date with events, offers and local businesses and services. FOLLOW us on @bedslife_magazine and @bedsLife
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FR EE JULY
“We’re all going on a Summer holiday…” July marks the start of the long break for pupils, students and teachers across the UK and it’s anticipated insid that millions of us will be e jetting off on holiday for sand, sea, swimming pools, sangria and sunbeds – especially after all the limitations that were placed on us during the last two Summers. One of the many benefits of the Summer is the positive effect that it has on many people’s mental health. The sun gives us more vitamin D, which raises energy levels and just simply makes us feel happier. So there’s no excuse for not getting out and about in the sunshine (safely, of course)! Co mm un ity Ne ws W ha t’s On Be df or d Fe st iva l Fr £2 5 Pr ing e ize Cr os sw or d 10,00 0 cop
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It’s also Plastic Free July, which has grown from a small campaign that started in 2011 in Australia to a global phenomenon known around the world with millions of participants from numerous different countries – no doubt helped by the recent focus on the climate crisis. The purpose of the campaign is to not just highlight the damage that single-use plastics can do, but also to provide resources and ideas to help us reduce our plastic waste every day at home, work, school, and even at your local café. Visit www.plasticfreejuly.org to find out how you can take part. Whatever July has in store for you, we hope you manage to have at least a short break away from your routine and spend some time in the sun. Even if you can’t take a plane to somewhere warm and exotic, our region is abundant with beautiful and inspirational places where you can relax, get up close and personal with nature, and feed your body and soul.
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Christa & The BedsLife Team
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AUGUST ISSUE DEADLINE WEDNESDAY 6TH JULY
2022
community news Wixams is Jubilee Yarnbombed!
Bulky Waste Collections are back! Bedford Borough Council has restarted its Rural Bulky Waste collections. Due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, a shortage of HGV drivers, and the need to prioritise the collection of household bins, the rural bulky waste collections didn’t take place in 2020 and 2021. The free service returned in June with collections in Bromham, Wootton, Oakley and Clapham and will continue around the rural areas of Bedford Borough throughout the summer with the last collection on Saturday 24 September.
Wixams Yarnbombers created a stunning Jubileethemed display with help from the Willow Grove developers Barratt and David Wilson Homes.
The collections are for household waste and enable residents in the rural areas to dispose of items safely and responsibly.
The newly established community group received £200 worth of yarn from the housebuilder to decorate one of the jetties at the lake and the area surrounding the marketing suite with a yarnbomb to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Mayor Dave Hodgson said, “I am delighted to announce that Rural Bulky Waste collections are returning and will run on most Saturdays throughout the summer and into September. This is another important milestone reached in returning council services after the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Visually impressive, the display featured bunting, chains, trellises, flowers and creatures, as well as a knitted version of Her Majesty with a miniature corgi beside her. Wixams Yarnbombers met for the first time in April and worked together to create the Jubilee display in just six weeks. After the project’s huge success, Wixams Yarnbombers are now planning a Remembrance Day display which will raise money for the Poppy Appeal. For more information about the group or to get involved, visit www.wixams.org/yarn-bombing
2022 dates and locations: Elstow 2 July Moss Lane 8-12pm, Abbeyfields Elstow Primary School lay-by 1-3.30pm Shortstown 9 July Beauvais Square 1-3.30pm Stewartby 17 September Alexander Close 10.30-12pm, Pillinge Road/Magpie Ave Jct. 1-3.30pm Wilstead 2 July Bedford Road near recycling banks 8-12pm Wixams 2 July Dane Lane 1-3.30pm Visit www.bedford.gov.uk/bulky for terms and conditions.
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A friendly cuppa after school The Friendly Nettle Café first opened its doors in Shortstown in 2020, offering homemade breakfasts and lunches. Now, thanks to their extended opening hours, you can pop in for a much-needed coffee and chat with the kids after school. Anyone who has visited will know that the Friendly Nettle is much more than a café and has become a vital hub for the community with regular meet-ups, craft activities, talks, movie nights and more. The café, which is now open until 4.30pm on weekdays, is very child friendly and has a large kids’ play area, making it an ideal place for parents and carers to get together. Pop into the café or find them on Facebook to find out more. www.friendlynettle.co.uk
Fun in the Forest!
The free afternoon, which is suitable for the whole family, includes wildlife walks, crafts, games and a goody bag of activities and information about the woodland to take home. Bring a picnic and enjoy the hot and cold drinks and ice cream available to buy on the day. With no parking available, people are encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to Shocott Spring and use the entrance off High Road. This is a free event, but donations are welcome and gratefully received. www.marstonvale.org/Event/shocott-springshowcase-2022
Volunteer with the Brownies and Guides The Marston Moreteyne Brownies and Guides are looking for new volunteers to ensure that the groups for girls can continue. If you have few hours to spare on a Friday evening and would like to do something rewarding, they would love to hear from you. Training, DBS check and uniform will be provided, and there is always support available. The Brownies and Guides have some amazing opportunities and volunteers help them to make life-long memories. Past activities include rock climbing, cooking on open fires, camping, nights away in huts, zoo trips, days out, Butlins with other Brownie units, parades, parties, walks, canoeing, crafts and learning life skills. If you can help, please register through www.girlguiding.org.uk
The Forest of Marston Vale is inviting residents in Shortstown, Cotton End and New Cardington to join them for a teddy bears’ picnic and fun activities at Shocott Spring.
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Do you have some village news to share? Email jacqui@bedslifemagazine.co.uk Copy deadline for the August issue is 8th July.
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Volunteering Opportunities Bedford Daycare Hospice Driver Help patients get to Bedford Daycare Hospice for holistic care by transporting them at the beginning and end of their day using your own car.
Beyond Detention Supporter Support this organisation which helps those in detention and post-detention, in a varied role with administrative tasks, shopping, raising awareness and helping with completing surveys and questionnaires.
Creative Support Befriender
Here is our volunteering pick for July 2022. It gives a flavour of the many opportunities we hold at CVS Bedfordshire from organisations across the area, so do contact us for more opportunities if you can’t see something that appeals to you. You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter at www.cvsbeds.org.uk/volunteernewsletter for all the latest opportunities and other volunteering related news.
43 Bromham Road, Bedford Call 01234 354 366 or Email: volunteering@cvsbeds.org.uk www.cvsbeds.org.uk 8
A car driver is wanted to befriend adults with learning disabilities who are residents in Oakley and take them out on day trips on a weekly basis.
National Citizen Service Volunteer Support the running of the National Citizen Service programme running locally with Hear2Listen. It’s a skills-building and social action programme for 16/17-year olds and you will be running activities and leading sessions.
Autism Bedfordshire Assistant Support Worker This is a Saturday morning role as a general helper supporting children and young people with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome at a family support group in Wootton.
MENCAP Treasurer You could become a trustee and a treasurer if you have some admin, IT and bookkeeping skills. MENCAP’s experienced retiring treasurer will support, guide and mentor you as you take on the role.
Search for and register an interest in all the listed roles above and many more, by adding the name of the organisation into the keyword field on our Simply Connect opportunity search at cvsbeds.org.uk/volunteer. Call us if you need any further information on 01234 354366.
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CONSUMER
The Martin Lewis column
MONEY ON MY MIND...
He’s the UK’s leading money saving expert – a journalist and presenter who has kept millions of pounds in people’s pockets as well as lifting the lid on the threats and dangers we need to be aware of as consumers.
In this month’s column, Martin Lewis looks at keeping our money safe online. Staying one step ahead of the fraudsters isn’t a battle just reserved for those who patrol the internet. The unregulated nature of the world’s biggest information source means we need to take control of our own vigilance. The good news is that by following a few easy steps, you can protect yourself from the dark forces at work across the web. Firstly, when visiting a site, in the web address at the top, look for an ‘s’ after ‘http’ at the beginning of the line. The lack of an ‘s’ doesn’t directly imply you are on a scam website, but it is telling you that the security certificate is inadequate, and you should refrain from entering personal information. Some browsers – Google Chrome being one – add a padlock icon denoting any website that is fully secure, or the web address could be shown in green. The highest form of encryption for any site will show the website name before the address, also. Mostly, ask yourself if what’s being offered is realistic. On the internet, just as in real life, if something you see online appears too good to be true – particularly if you’ve clicked on an advert or had a pop-up appear on your screen – it probably is.
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Also have a look for how well written and presented the site is. There is a very real correlation between the trustworthiness of a site and the attention paid to spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It may not surprise you to hear that few scammers are fully adept in the finer workings of the English language, particularly if that site is being run many thousands of miles from the UK, and authentic marketing will almost always look professional in style and content. Furthermore, as much as Google may at times frustrate us by offering a multitude of options that are almost bewildering in number, it remains a great source for checking what we know. So, if a site looks suspicious put its name into Google. If it’s a known rogue business, then there’s a good chance it’s being discussed across the web. Finally, if you are purchasing online, use a credit card or trackback financial tool, such as PayPal. That way if something does go awry, you have the security of reclaiming your money. Martin Lewis is the Founder and Chair of MoneySavingExpert.com. To join the 7.5 million people who get his free Money Tips weekly email, go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/latesttip
Have Your Say on the Future of Your Borough
Local plans set out where growth and development will take place – everything from homes and jobs to schools and infrastructure. Have your say on the future of the Borough by 29th July 2022. For further information: • Visit www.bedford.gov.uk/LocalPlan2040 Come along and talk to us at one of our drop in sessions Saturday 25th June, Wednesday 29th June, Wednesday 20th July, Saturday 23rd July. Sessions to be held 11am – 2pm in The Howard Centre, Bedford (by the indoor entrance to TKMaxx) and Saturday 9th July 11am – 2pm inside St. Neots Library, Priory Lane, St Neots PE19 2BH
£25
Prize Crossword Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this section and send to the address below before Friday 10th June. Prize Crossword, BedsLife, 17 Foxbrook, Stevington, Bedfordshire MK43 7QY
Last Months Crossword Winner – M Fisher, Wilstead For last months answers please turn to P30
Across 1 4 8 9 10 11 12 17 19
Pierced, punctured (medical) (6) Atones (6) Squander (5) Disciple (7) Extend (7) Divide in two (5) Maze (9) Regulations (5) Authorise, enable (7)
Name: Address: 12
5 Black water bird (7) 6 Pre-_____, before birth (5) 7 Brochette, spit (6) 9 Despicable (9) 13 Coy, reticent (7) 14 Nevertheless (7) 15 Blackmails (6) 16 Sips, gulps (6) 18 Slow tempo (musical term) (5) 20 Follower of ancient religion (5)
21 Aid, assist (7) 22 Bestowed (5) 23 Plundered goods (6) 24 Catches, traps (6)
Down
1 Furthest down (6) 2 Nasal hole (7) 3 Occurence (5)
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KEMPSTON PARK INDOOR BOWLS CLUB This year especially, we are all enjoying our freedom and the outdoor activities involved. But what about those coming Autumn and Winter months when the days shorten and the weather changes? Well, no worries, you can always be assured of a warm welcome at any time of the year at Kempston Park Indoor Bowls Club (KPIBC). During the Winter Season, the club is open seven days a week. There are 19 leagues for bowling at all levels with mens, ladies and mixed teams. There are also ‘roll up’ periods where members can come on the day and put their names down for a social bowl. This enables all members to practice but particularly for new members to gain experience with specific coaches available to help. Also, anyone can pop in and have a look, play a few ends, and make your mind up before joining. Besides an active period of bowling for all, social activities include – Craft and coffee mornings, Bingo, Race Nights, Quiz evenings, Knit and Natter plus special evenings with entertainment. Light and lunch time meals are available during the week at very reasonable prices in our spacious social area. Tea, coffee, and chocolate are always available. There is also a full-size snooker table, a darts area, and a full bar service. 14
Age, ability both physical or mental and previous experience are not important at KPIBC, just the wish to play indoor bowls. There is an active Wheelstars section where special wheelchairs are provided, and Tibbs Dementia also use the club on a regular basis. Our last major improvement included a new suspended ceiling with special climate control heating and cooling with differing levels for the bowling area and social area and the refurbishments of the toilet and changing facilities. This has made the club one of the best in the area for facilities. The Management team and staff work enthusiastically for the club and for its members. But the ethos of KPIBC right from its beginning is that the club is run by the members for the members. The winter season starts in September when memberships are renewed for the full year. The fees for 2022/2023 are £78.00 for bowling members and £28.00 for social members. A two-hour bowling session costs £3.50. 290 Hillgrounds Road, Kempston, Bedford MK42 8UB. Our telephone Tel 01234 852291. Summer season opening times Mondays 11.30am to 5.00pm, Tuesdays 10.30am to 5.00pm, Wednesdays 6.00pm to 10.00pm, Thursdays 9.00am to 5.00pm, Fridays 11.30am to 5.00pm, Saturdays 9.00am to 12.30pm. We have a planned Coffee Morning on Tuesday 9th August from 10.00am to 12 noon so do please come along and visit the club. www.kempstonparkbowls.co.uk
Bedford Daycare Hospice Caring for people with life-limiting illnesses
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BEDFORD HIGH STREET IS PROUD TO HOST
THE ONE HUNDRED MOTORING DISPLAY PART OF BEDFORD RIVER FESTIVAL 2022
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WHAT’S ON
BEDFORD ART SOCIETY MEETING FRIDAY 1 JULY 7.15 FOR 7.30 START Jo Allsopp is a fully qualified and experienced art tutor and will demonstrate the use of Watercolours and inks. Entry free for members, £5 for visitors. Putnoe Heights Church, Bedford MK41 8EB Contact Jean Paterson on 01234 307210 or www.bedsartsociety.co.uk for further information. NEWTON BROMSWOLD VILLAGE FETE SATURDAY 2 JULY AT 2PM Rushden Mission Band will be playing. Afternoon Teas, Stalls and Games. Children’s Fancy Dress competition 3:10pm. Church Lane, Newton Bromswold NN10 0SR URSULA TAYLOR C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL PTFA SUMMER FAIR SATURDAY 2 JULY 12PM – 4PM There will be stalls, a BBQ, bouncy castle, games, tombola, Pimms/Mocktails, tuck shop, and much more. Plus, a very special Paw Patrol appearance. High Street, Clapham, MK41 6EG CARLTON SUMMER FAIR SATURDAY 2 JULY 11AM – 3.30PM Artisan stalls, homemade cakes, Riverside Dairy ice cream and lots of outdoor fun for the children. Carlton Village Hall, Village Hall The Moor, Bedford MK43 7JR BEDFORD FLORAL ART SOCIETY TUESDAY JULY 5 AT 7.30PM Jackie Page will be our floral demonstrator with “Going a Little Bit Potty”. Visitors very welcome £7 Addison Centre, Kempston, MK42 8PN www.bedfordfloralartsociety.co.uk KEMPSTON FIRE STATION CHARITY CAR WASH SATURDAY 9 JULY 10AM – 2PM Get your vehicle sparkling clean and support the Firefighters Charity at the same time! Southfields Road, Bedford, MK42 7NR
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WOOTTON FUN FEST SATURDAY 9 JULY 1PM – 9.PM FREE ENTRY Live Music, Fairground, Face Painter, BBQ, Ice Cream Joe, Crafts and more. Wootton Recreation Ground, Church Road, Wootton MK43 9EU MELCHBOURNE FEAST DAY SUNDAY 10 JULY FROM 1PM Ouse Valley Swing Band, BBQ, bar and Pimms, teas, cakes, tombola and raffle. Plenty of other stalls. A lovely afternoon out in a gorgeous garden. Entrance £1, under 12’s free. The Old Vicarage MK44 1BQ SUMMER FETE FOR SUE RYDER ST JOHN’S HOSPICE SATURDAY 16 JULY 11AM – 5PM Come along for a family fun day out! There will be stalls, refreshments, games, an ice cream van, live music and a tombola! Plenty of free parking available on site Bedford Modern School, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7NT For further information please call either Fiona: 07887 636791 / Christina: 07885195491 / Elizabeth 07446 205405 CRAFT & WELLBEING FAYRE SUNDAY 17 JULY 11AM – 3PM Uplifting vibrant local stall holders showcasing there handmade and unique makes, body care, crystals, cakes and all the lovely things. Great Barford Village Hall, Fishers Close, Bedford MK44 3JL BIDDENHAM GARDENERS ASSOCIATION TUESDAY 19 JULY AT 7.30PM “AGM” Visitors very welcome Admission £5 per meeting for non-members Includes Raffle & Refreshments www.biddenhamgardenersassociation.org.uk. AFTERNOON VINTAGE TEA FRIDAY 22 JULY 2PM TO 4PM Entry £4 Includes tea, home-made cake and friendship Christ the King Parish Hall, Harrowden Road, Bedford, MK42 0SP For information call Myriam on 07590 558275
THURSDAY 28 JULY VERY SPECIAL GUEST
& MARISHA WALLACE L P H C o n c e r t s & Ev e nt s p ro u d ly Pr e s e nt s :
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SUNDAY 31ST JULY 2022
P lu s s u p p o r t
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4 DAY WEEKEND AT BEDFORD PARK THIS JULY TICKETS: BEDFORDPARKCONCERTS.CO.UK
Don’t miss out! An Evening With The 2 Toms Tom Wild show (local YouTube sensation) Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq. and Carradine’s Cockney Singalong Present Join viral star Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq. and London cabaret virtuoso Tom Carradine for an evening of sing-along-fun and musical humour! You can expect plenty of laughter, raucous audience participation and, if you’re lucky, they may even play a song or 2 together! Jon Courtenay: Against The Odds (Edinburgh Preview) Jon Courtenay (Winner of BGT 2021) Having triumphed on Britain’s Got Talent, Jon combines comedy, music and drama in a brand-new show exploring the true story of his television success while secretly fighting for his life. Accompany him backstage as he wrestles jokes and jeopardy to survive not only the competition but also to just…. survive. Doctors and Nurses, Judges and Jokers all become players in Jon’s musical journey through jubilation, heartache, tumours and television. Reminding you that laughter can be the best medicine, but so can immunotherapy. Les Dawson: Flying High (Edinburgh Preview) Les Dawson (Jon Culshaw) Jon Culshaw (Dead Ringers, The Impressions Show) stars in this funny, affectionate and poignant celebration of the much-missed comedy legend.
Join Les as he summons forth a wealth of characters and incidents from his eventful life and career, as he travels on Concorde at twice the speed of sound 68,000 feet above the Earth, in this new play from BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning writer Tim Whitnall and director Bob Golding. Charlie Russell Aims To Please Charlie Russell (from The Play That Goes Wrong) Charlie Russell wants to do a show in Edinburgh, but all she can think about is what she wants people to think of it and, ultimately, of her. So rather than focusing on what she wants to say, she’s just going to create a show that will please absolutely everyone by trying to hit as many solo Fringe show tropes and styles as possible within an hour. That’s doable, right? Because she can’t just be herself... can she? Funny, entertaining with a big beating heart that just wants to be loved. Aurie Styla: Work In Progress Aurie (Sell-out comedian from our spring season… he’s incredible!) It has been an interesting couple of years, with a global pandemic showing us a different perspective on life and its meaning. To Aurie, it means looking at his own hilarious outlet and his way of dealing with change, and finally going Green (his real last name). Question is, what does being Green actually mean? Get your belly laughs finding out.
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SOLITARY BEES
Look around your garden, local park or nature reserve, and you’re sure to encounter a variety of bees, busily collecting pollen from our trees and flowers. Familiar to most of us are the honeybees – skilful producers of the sweet golden substance that many of us enjoy – and the fluffy bumblebees that buzz nosily around our blooms. Less well known though are the solitary bees, despite the fact that they comprise the majority of our bee species here in the UK – there are 240 or so different species in total. While honeybees and bumblebees are social bees, living in colonies together, solitary bees – as the name suggests – create their own nests. Some species of solitary bee will live alongside fellow bees in a type of social group, but interaction is limited and each bee will build a separate nest close to the others rather than having one shared nest. Solitary bees have an amazing array of nesting sites. Some burrow into our lawns, some nest in crumbling mortar and three species in Britain nest exclusively in old snail shells! Others nest in plant stems, cavities in dead wood or will take readily to manmade ‘bee hotels’ like we have at Millennium Country Park. The majority of solitary bees nest in the ground. One ground-
nesting species that you might encounter in the garden is the tawny-mining bee. If you find small, volcano-like turrets appearing on your lawn these are probably the work of a female tawny-mining bee! The females are quite distinctive, being covered in a thick ginger fur. Males are more slender and their fur is yellowy rather than ginger. They also have white tufts of hair around their face. The female will dig down to create an underground tunnel, which she then splits into a number of chambers. Inside these chambers, the female will create individual cells, into which she will lay an egg and provide a food package of nectar and pollen for her offspring. The cell is then sealed and the process repeated. The offspring stay in the nest over winter, and emerge as fully fledged bees the following spring. Interestingly, eggs containing male larvae are always laid nearest to the entrance of the nest so they emerge first, ready to mate with the females and begin the cycle again.
If you own a ‘bee hotel’, the bees you’re most likely to see setting up home are cavitynesting bees such as mason bees and leafcutter bees. The red mason bee is a common species which is often found in urban environments. In addition to bee hotels, popular nesting locations include existing holes in southfacing brickwork or window frames. Female red mason bees have strong jaws, which they use to harvest wet mud. The mud is used as a building material and is taken back to the nest cavity to create the partition walls between each egg-containing cell. She uses the antennae on her face to mould the mud. Mud is also used to create the seal at the nest entrance. Male and female red mason bees are similar in appearance, with black heads, a brown thorax and ginger abdomen. Females tend to be a little furrier. In the same way that red mason bees use mud as a building
material, leafcutter bees use – you guessed it! – leaves. The patchwork leafcutter bee is a common garden visitor. The females cut neat discs from leaves belonging to plants such as roses, lilacs and honeysuckles. The leaves are then chewed into a pulp and mixed with saliva to create cell walls and a seal for the nest entrance. Patchwork leafcutter bees look like darkcoloured honeybees, with orange-tinged undersides. Solitary bees are fascinating to watch as they go about their daily lives. They are great for the garden as they are excellent pollinators – often much more efficient than honeybees and bumblebees. Attracting them is simple – just provide habitat, food sources and stay away from pesticide use. Bee hotels are inexpensive and widely available. You can also make your own by filling an old tin can with hollow bamboo canes and hanging it in a sunny spot, or drilling holes into a wooden fencepost. For groundnesting bees, try leaving a few patches of loose, crumbly or sandy soil in sunny areas of the garden. You’ll also need plenty of nectarrich flowers to attract bees – ideally a selection that will bloom from early spring to late summer. Early-flowering bee-friendly plants include pulmonaria, chives and flowering currant, followed by lavender, marjoram, geranium, foxglove and catmint. For late summer, try growing buddleia, globe thistle, sedum and penstemon. Our Sensory and Wildlife Garden at Millennium Country Park is a perfect place to visit for inspiration…!
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Gardening Tips and Advice from
July, the midway point of the year. If you were born in July, your birthstone is Ruby which represents love, passion and integrity. Your flower is larkspur or water lily. This month, make the most of any of your plants going to seed by keeping the ripened seeds for next year, leaving the more attractive heads. They’ll look lovely again for you next year. As roses approach the end of their first flourish, I find it good housekeeping to feed them with rose fertilizer or a general organic fertilizer to encourage a second bloom. Now is the last chance to cut back established hydrangeas after flowering. If this is done later, your plants will not have had enough time to make new growth for next year. Some of your earlier vegetable crops such as potatoes, early peas or broad beans have now finished so clear them away to make room for various catch-crops such as shorthorn carrots and
THE G
AN
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NTLEM GE
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globe beetroot. Sown now, they’ll produce roots for pulling in September/October. Keep your precious fruit crops safe from beaks. The old fashioned way is to tie unwanted CDs to branches or bamboo stakes. Don’t use your old Abba CDs though as they’re making a come back. Nothing looks lovelier than lavender now. If you cut the stalks, tie into bundles and dry outside, the flowers can be used to make a refreshing summer drink to sip as you read your BedsLife magazine. My favourite drink is ‘The Bee’s Knees’: just add fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey to your gin, shake or stir then add ice and a slice. Remember, gardening does not allow you to be mentally old because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realised. I’ve got a ‘Bee’s Knees’ waiting for me in my potting shed so I’ll wish you a lovely July’s gardening. Enjoy! The Gentleman Gardener
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