Blooms for Bees – a citizen science project to promote and improve gardening for bumblebees

Following the drastic decline of bumblebee populations in the UK, gardens and allotments are increasingly recognised as important habitats, but little is known about which species use these spaces, or which flowering plants are the most important sources of nectar and pollen.

Blooms for Bees promotes bee-friendly gardening and encourages citizen scientists to explore the presence and floral preferences of bumblebees in their gardens and allotments in order to improve planting recommendations. The project created a range of high-quality digital outputs including an app, seven videos and a website, as well as planting displays at Ryton Organic Gardens and RHS Garden Wisley.

The nation-wide project had a wide reach, with over 26,000 views of the project website and YouTube videos. Over 7,000 members of the public downloaded the project app, submitting over 2,500 plant surveys and more than 5,000 bumblebee sightings, which were verified by one of the UK’s leading bee experts, Steven Falk.

Findings and data have been shared widely in the popular press through publications such as Gardeners’ World Magazine, and within the scientific and academic community.