Sow a Seed

If you can see a way, sow a seed;
 To help our species evolve from greed.

The seed must be bright, pure and strong;
Free from disease of human wrong.

And from this seed a beauty will grow;
Of love, for a bee, worm, bat or crow.

Let it bloom and spread like a humble weed;
Enlightened thought, to smother our greed.

A poem by Bee Abrightstar, 2011
 

An organic propagation nursery situated at the foothills of the Blackdown Hills on the Somerset-Devon border, certified to Soil Association organic standards (number G8492). All the plants we raise are acceptable to bees - we aim to provide their favourites - and specialise in wild, especially medicinal, plants which have not been altered (such as modern hybrids) by artificial breeding . We also raise some fruit and vegetables cultivars - but only ones which are 'Open-Pollinated' (meaning in the field they are pollinated naturally). 

All Bee Happy Plants' seeds are open pollinated; to learn more about the benefits of open pollination click here.

All our plants are raised from seed (except fruit cultivars), so each and every seed-grown plant will be genetically unique, to help ensure a healthy gene-pool of all the species we propagate. This will help many plants acclimatise to climate change, even if the climate change shift is relatively fast, as scientists now predict. Without plants like these, all bees, honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees (of which there are about 250 species in the UK alone) would have no food, as they eat only pollen and nectar. 

Also as many of our plants are medicinal, we need to preserve their phytochemical purity, by leaving their genetic blueprint well alone. Unless there is very good reason otherwise, we like to keep our wild plants WILD! Nature is a wise plant breeder and we don't wish to alter plants that have evolved with pollinators and other insects over so many millions of years... they have stood the test of time (the mother of all tests of time). 

Happy planting for bees, plants and all their other pollinators.

Happy Plants Make Happy Bees!

With profits from the sale of all our plants, we are currently creating a 'bee sanctuary', on 14 acres in Devon and using of course 100% organic principles with a permaculture theme. All the plants will be honeybee and bumblebee favourites. This is a not-for-profit activity.

Bee Happy Plants also supports the following charities:

• The Soil Association
• British Beekeeper's Association 

At the Start@Kew Gardens event in 2011, Bee Happy Plants ran a competition and gave away a 'bee garden', which was won by Simon Goldsmith, who has kindly donated this to The 'Edible Bus Stop' charity in London. We look forward to their planting in in 2012.

If you are a charity or 'not for profit company' with an idea that could benefit bees and pollinators, and would like our support or a link, we'd love to hear from you; please email: sarah@beehappyplants.co.uk  

Leptospermum scoparium (Wild, New Zealand, Alpine Manuka)

An absolutely star bee plant fresh from the pristine New Zealand wilderness. We think we are unique in being able to offer you this amazing plant, with extremely important beneficial and protective effects on the bees. Discovered by English honey bees which were introduced into New Zealand in 1831...