Buzz in Shropshire countryside to highlight threat to bees
Hidden away in a field of petals, a black, white and yellow bee is growing to help highlight the species' plight.
Shropshire Petals, based at Lynn South Farm in Newport, hand planted their 17-metre wildflower bee to highlight the important of supporting bees in Britain.
The Shropshire Petals giant bee is made from black, white and yellow cornflowers to create a picture of a bee, which can be seen from the sky. Cornflowers are a favourite among bees, providing them with plenty of food for a healthy hive from June to September.
The bee area of the field will not be harvested for confetti like the rest of the flowers; Shropshire Petals will be keeping it as a haven for wildlife all summer.
Helena Robertson, sustainability manager at Shropshire Petals, said: "With the decline in the bee population, it is more important than ever to protect them and care for the environment, especially as it is estimated that a third of all food is pollination dependent.
Solar power
"Shropshire Petals are aiming to raise awareness for the care of bees, along with wider environmental issues, including taking steps for better bee and wildlife protection in the flower fields by following best agricultural guidelines."
As well as protecting bees, Shropshire Petals have also been improving their environmental image by harnessing the power of the sun with solar power, which runs a percentage of the farm.
Helena said: "We believe in sourcing sustainable options wherever possible in all practices across the business. We are committed to informing consumers of the sustainable choices out there; above all, we believe in transparency in taking responsibility for the products that we sell and in continuing to improve our practices wherever we can."
Usually, the Shropshire Petals fields can be seen in full bloom once a year from mid-July through to the end of August. However, due to the terrible weather and lack of sunshine so far this summer, the fields are a few weeks behind their usual schedule.
Helena said: "We always plan for bad weather as Mother Nature can be very unpredictable. As much as bad weather conditions can ruin a harvest, thanks to the beautiful sunshine last week, our flowers are just starting to bloom and can be expected to be in full colour in the next couple of weeks.”
For more information visit shropshirepetals.com
