Mason bees do no produce honey or beeswax, but they are one type of bee that make great pollinators. They are peaceful insects and won’t sting or bother you (unless it’s being provoked).
To encourage Mason bees to pollinate your garden, why not build them a little house?
Here is a good example of a handmade Mason bee house. Looks like a birdhouse filled with bamboo reeds. Photo from Help Save Bees from UK.
If you have a block of wood and some drill bits, you can also make a Mason Bee house. Just drilled short holes in the block and hang them in a sheltered location. For more info and neat instructions on this method of bee house, check out Gardens for Wildlife.
And if you have access to lots of bamboo reeds, you are in luck. Just take those and cut them about 5-6 inches. There is no need to put them in a house (like in the photo above). Just gather the cut bamboo reed together, tie them with a string and place them between tree branches. Especially in fruit trees, soon enough you’ll be rewarded with more fruits!











Concerned homeowners and avid gardeners may want to look into finding ways to conserve water. But I have mostly desert plants that are in pots, so it won’t be much of a problem for me. My mom said she may cut down on what she will be planting this year too. The latest idea suggest replacing the common lawn and yards with native plants. This idea is termed “naturescaping”. These two front yards are good examples of naturescaping. Photos were taken by City Steward of Portland, Oregon.