{"id":4614,"date":"2025-07-02T11:25:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T10:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/?p=4614"},"modified":"2026-03-16T18:26:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:26:59","slug":"bow-bells-house-summer-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/?p=4614","title":{"rendered":"Bow Bells House &#8211; summer 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1906\" height=\"858\" data-id=\"4616\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mullenrussiansagesalviaagapanthaKstpauls.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mullenrussiansagesalviaagapanthaKstpauls.jpg 1906w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mullenrussiansagesalviaagapanthaKstpauls-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mullenrussiansagesalviaagapanthaKstpauls-768x346.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mullenrussiansagesalviaagapanthaKstpauls-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/mullenrussiansagesalviaagapanthaKstpauls-624x281.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1906px) 100vw, 1906px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The roof has never looked better, never contained as much diverse planting, and never fed as many bees &#8211; showing what other companies could achieve if they handed their rooftops over to a bee-friendly gardener to work with nature to create a pollinator oasis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Much of the success this summer is down to<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>a comprehensive drip irrigation system that comes on every evening for an hour during the heatwave we&#8217;ve been having since mid June.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>allowing self-seeded flowers (weeds) like Great Willowherb (<em>Epilobium hirsutum<\/em>), Ragwort (<em>Senecio jacobaea<\/em>), Hawkbit (<em>Leontodon hispidus)<\/em>, Herb Robert (<em>Geranium robertianum<\/em>) and thistles to flower freely. I do draw the line at Fleabane as it completely dominates, and only honeybees seems to like it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>flowers I planted self-seeding such as the tall, yellow flowered Mullen (<em>Verbascum thapsus<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>flowers I&#8217;ve experimented with doing well such as Comfrey<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reducing the number of<em> Kniphofia (<\/em>Red hot pokers) and keeping a check on the seedlings (again only honeybees seem to forage on them)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>having a pollinator ecologist survey the rooftop in spring\/summer to record the species and the plants for Pollinating London Together. <strong>The rooftop was found to be the third best rooftop in the City for pollinators in 2024.<\/strong> Read the full report by PLT <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pollinatinglondontogether.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PLT-Report-2024_FINAL.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.pollinatinglondontogether.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PLT-Report-2024_FINAL.pdf\">here<\/a>. I look forward to seeing what the 2025 surveys reveal. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"409\" height=\"907\" data-id=\"4618\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/furrowbeeonhawkbit.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/furrowbeeonhawkbit.jpg 409w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/furrowbeeonhawkbit-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"907\" data-id=\"4619\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GreatwillowherbEpilobiumhirsutum.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GreatwillowherbEpilobiumhirsutum.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GreatwillowherbEpilobiumhirsutum-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GreatwillowherbEpilobiumhirsutum-624x832.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"907\" data-id=\"4620\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ragwortwest.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ragwortwest.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ragwortwest-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ragwortwest-624x832.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Furrow bee on Hawkbit<\/em>               Great Willowherb (<em>Epilobium hirsutum<\/em>)         Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"409\" height=\"907\" data-id=\"4622\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/calamint.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/calamint.jpg 409w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/calamint-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"409\" height=\"907\" data-id=\"4623\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Centaureamontanajpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Centaureamontanajpg.jpg 409w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Centaureamontanajpg-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"409\" height=\"907\" data-id=\"4621\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kwithnet.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kwithnet.jpg 409w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kwithnet-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Calamint                                                    Centaura montana                              Dr Konstantinos Tsliosis surveying <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We now have <strong>two types of nesting structures <\/strong>for ground-nesting mining and furrow bees as well as the for cavity nesting bees. The bee hotels have been on site for a few years and the cardboard tubes have proved popular nesting sites for Red mason bees. We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/?p=4585\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/?p=4585\">created the sand mound <\/a>for ground-nesters in May, with the help of the PLT ecologist, Konstantinos. We are awaiting our first occupant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"946\" data-id=\"4836\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/beehotels.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/beehotels.jpg 426w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/beehotels-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"946\" data-id=\"4837\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/beehotelsstpauls.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/beehotelsstpauls.jpg 426w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/beehotelsstpauls-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"946\" data-id=\"4838\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sandmoundafterjpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sandmoundafterjpg.jpg 426w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sandmoundafterjpg-135x300.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Secrets of the Bees Filming<\/strong> &#8211; in June, wildlife filmmaker, Bertie Gregory, and the crew at Silverback Films (pictured below) were on the roof filming for a two-part National Geographic documentary about bees. They chose the roof because I could guarantee them great footage of wild bees foraging high up in the City. At the end of the trailer for the documentary, which is screened on Disney+ from March 31, you can see Wool Carder bees fighting for territory on the Lamb&#8217;s ear plant. This is shot on the roof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch the official trailer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Mej2usrRCl0\">here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"880\" height=\"870\" data-id=\"4842\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Bertie1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Bertie1.jpg 880w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Bertie1-300x297.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Bertie1-768x759.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Bertie1-624x617.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"883\" height=\"892\" data-id=\"4839\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cameramanjpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cameramanjpg.jpg 883w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cameramanjpg-297x300.jpg 297w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cameramanjpg-768x776.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cameramanjpg-624x630.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 883px) 100vw, 883px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"826\" height=\"867\" data-id=\"4840\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Producer.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Producer.jpg 826w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Producer-286x300.jpg 286w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Producer-768x806.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Producer-624x655.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"858\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"4841\" src=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shot1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shot1.jpg 858w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shot1-290x300.jpg 290w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shot1-768x796.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shot1-624x647.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The roof has never looked better, never contained as much diverse planting, and never fed as many bees &#8211; showing what other companies could achieve if they handed their rooftops over to a bee-friendly gardener to work with nature to create a pollinator oasis. Much of the success this summer is down to: Furrow bee [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[118,66,119],"class_list":["post-4614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogs","tag-bow-bells-house","tag-gardening-for-bees","tag-summer-2025"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4614"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4844,"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4614\/revisions\/4844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urbanbees.co.uk\/blog_1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}