This Friday (20 May) is World Bee Day so we are delighted to take the opportunity to celebrate these most valued garden visitors and tell you a little about London’s bees.
London is the most densely populated bee city in Europe, with many parks and gardens for them to inhabit and over 5000 registered hives; keepers are well supported by the fabulous London Beekeepers Association.
Our nearest hives are on the rooftops of Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly (which houses four colonies of bees). Slightly further afield, there are Italian honeybee hives in the grounds of Buckingham Palace; the lucky creatures have their own little island in the centre of the palace’s 3.5 acre lake!
Photo credit: Hyde Park, London © Grandtraveler/Shutterstock.com