A comprehensive gardener's guide to sustainable beekeeping.Beekeeping has changed. While once it was a hobby that pursued the rich rewards of honey and wax, many new beekeepers now instead seek the gratification of knowing that they are aiding the survival of one of the world's most important creatures. Keeping bees today is as much about providing the right habitats and resources to help pollinators thrive as it is about chasing every drop of golden honey.This beautifully illustrated guide to the ancient hobby of beekeeping shows today's gardeners how to create beautiful gardens that are richly rewarding for people and bees alike. Flowers, shrubs, trees and vegetable plots can provide colourful beauty and delicious produce as well as vital pollen and nectar when bees need it the most. There are lists of the top-performing plants and how and where to grow them, including window boxes, lawns, borders, wild gardens and even ponds.Beekeeping for Gardeners looks at the pleasures and benefits of keeping honey bees in gardens of all types and sizes, both rural and urban. It explains the practicalities involved in keeping bees in the domestic garden setting, as well as on rooftops, allotments, parks, farmland and other locations. Importantly, and unlike any book before, this guide sets the delightful hobby of beekeeping within the context of the wider environment, asking how it can best serve the needs of all types of pollinator and the local ecology in general.Whether you're looking to attract more bumblebees and solitary bees or want to install a beehive, this wonderful book contains all the guidance you'll need to have a garden buzzing with bees.

IntroductionPart One: Keeping honey beesIntroducing the honey beeBecoming a beekeeperHow to get startedKeeping beesHandling beesHow to manage swarmingQueen and apiary managementThe rewards of beekeepingCaring for bees in winterHealth and hygienePart Two: Bees in your gardenBumblebeesSolitary beesPart Three: Gardens for beesA world outside your back doorWhat to plant for beesLawns, meadows and wild areasPonds and damp gardensShrubs, hedges and treesGarden and farm cropsThe beekeeping yearThe best garden plants for beesRecommended further readingAcknowledgementsIndex