To get us started on our bee-utiful bee-loving journey, West Village’s resident gardener Amelia takes us through bee-attracting flowers and plants that are perfect to have in your garden including plant species like mandevilla (also known by its cooler name rocktrumpet), zinnia, calibrachoa (million bells), angelonia as well as a selection of native Australian plants that are sure to attract and feed native bees and vulnerable insects.

If you started your own herb garden while in iso to help take your culinary creations to the next level, you can also add bee-friendly herbs to your garden. In her tutorial, Amelia teaches us all types of bees (including native bees) are attracted to colours like purple and blue, suggesting some flowering herbs and complementary flowers to plant together. You’ll also learn some fun bee facts – for example, did you know that lemon balm has the same chemicals in it that bees have in their pheromones?

So you can up your planting game, Amelia takes us through how to co-plant your bee-attracting plants and create a luscious bee- and butterfly-friendly pot arrangement for your home. You can also learn how to construct the ideal insect house to provide shelter for bees and other insects, and how to make bee seed balls – a creative and nutritious way to bring bugs and bees to your garden.

If you’re looking for something fun to take the kids to these school holidays, West Village is currently being taken over by a buzz-worthy bee installation from the creative minds at Dead Puppet Society. Crawling over the West End retail and residential hub until Sunday July 19, The Hive Mind pays tribute to the sweet pollinators and all of the hard work they do for our planet. The eye-catching display features a large kinetic bee sculpture that uses the wind as its puppeteer, as well as an array of bee and butterfly creations that are scattered amongst West Village’s garden. Hot tip – if you visit after dusk you’ll see the bee’s wings illuminated! The Village Bees online hub is also a-buzz with a huge selection of family-friendly free online activities to fly into. From live tours inside a bee hive, to honey-inspired sweet and savoury recipe tutorials and heaps of kids craft activities – there’s plenty of bee-related things to see and do. So, buzz to it!

This article was created in partnership with our friends at West Village. To find out more, head to West Village’s Village Bees website to check out the huge range of activities.