Lucy Wise and Lizzie Hunter of Seasalt in Marlborough are the winners of the competition Seasalt ran for employees during July’s solitary bee week. Their prize, a bee brick, has been donated to Val Compton and the water front garden in Kennet Place.
Lucy Wise told Marlborough.news, “Seasalt wanted to do something for solitary bee week and so we installed planters outside the Marlborough shop and I made a collage of photos of Lizzie watering the bee-friendly flowers.”
“I couldn’t believe that we won the competition. I’ve never won anything in my life so it was lovely.”
Val Compton said, “I’m very grateful to Seasalt and to Lizzie and Lucy who nominated the water front garden to be the recipient of the bee brick. Bee bricks are crucially important for solitary bees.”
Female bees collect pollen and lay a single egg in the brick’s cavities and then enclose it with a leaf or mud. The eggs develop into larvae and remain in the brick, only emerging in the following spring.
The bee brick is now in position on the wall of Val’s cottage thanks to the skill of Kye Barrett who answered Val’s Facebook plea for help to install the brick.
Kye, a carpenter, told Marlborough.news, “I’m more than happy to do anything to promote bees and wildlife.”
The water front garden is on the bee road from Marlborough and Pewsey and more than six hundred bee friendly spring bulbs were planted there to provide essential early food for bees.
To find out more, go to – https://www.spacefornature.net/bee-roadz
