March 7 - 13, 2021: Issue 486

 

The Bees Knees: what you can plant now to help your garden grow and help the bees


With World Bee Day coming up on the 20th May 2021, and entries for this year's 'Waggle Dance' already open (please get yours in by 10pm AEST 15th May 2021 families), now is a good time to look at what you can plant to help our local native bee species and European honey bee Apis mellifera, along.

The bee 'waggle' is that movement bees make to communicate to other bees where there are flowers. It's the bee knees in motion!

Although we live on one of the few continents that has flowers that bloom all year round, as well as a climate that supports growing fruits and vegetables all year round, great news for the 20,000+ bee species that exist globally, urbanisation is adding in concrete and taking out trees and plants. As a result the pollinators – animals vital for plant reproduction – have seen their food supply, those flower-rich habitats, decline.

Australia is home to over 1500 different species of native bees, with about 200 in Sydney. This Issue we'd like to share a few gardening tips on what you can plant now to help them through the next few months - food to eat and flowers to enjoy are part of that.

Fortunately the Pittwater Swamp Mahogany will commence blooming at the end of this month, and persist through April, and lillipillis are also ending their flowering as they begin to fruit in March.

Other native plants that will flower all year round and help the bees are all your grevilleas and callistemon species and the native rosemary (Westringia).

Bees also are attracted by Oregano, Marjoram, Sage, Thyme, Borage and Lavenders and Daisies, another Autumn to Winter flower:


Vegetables to grow in Sydney's Temperate zone in Autumn include spinach, green beans and peas, as well as herbs like coriander, garlic, parsley and thyme.

Brassicas like broccoli, bok choi and mustard greens produce flowers that are also a favourite food of many insect pollinators – simply leave some of your harvest to flower. Salvias and Basils are also good choices that will attract a variety of beneficial insects.

Remember to plant native flowers like coastal rosemary, Hardenbergia violacea (“Happy Wanderer”), Wattles, and Grevilia’s (especially “Honey Gem” and “Flamingo”) to support some of our pickier native insects.

Some of the Best Native Plants for Native Bees

Brachyscome: These long-flowering ground covers are popular with stingless bees.

Callistemon – Bottlebrush: These nectar-rich flowers also attract native bees.

Ceratopetalum gummiferum ‘Alberys Red’ - Christmas Bush: This large shrub, with dense cream flowers in springtime, attracts many native bees.

Eucalyptus: Gum blossom is often covered with clouds of native bees – local varieties Spotted gum and Angophoras are very attractive to native bees

Grevilleas: Many Grevilleas such as Grevillea Moonlight provide good nectar for bees.

Hibbertia scandensThe Common Teddy Bear Bee and the Common Blue Banded Bee love buzzing the flowers of Hibbertia scandens.

Leptospermum polygalifolium - Lemon Scented Tea Tree: Leptospermum species are in the ‘top ten’ list in Native Bees of the Sydney Region – A Field Guide.

Scaevola humilis - Fan Flower: Many small native bees and leafcutters visit these flowers.

Senna clavigeraThe Common Teddy Bear Bee, the Common Blue Banded Bee and the Emerald Homalictus buzz the flowers of this bush. Leafcutters also clip pieces of the leaves for their nests. Long flowering period.

Thryptomene saxicola FC Payne: This graceful winter flowering shrub attracts stingless bees and other native bees.

Westringia fruticosa - Coast Rosemary: Westringia is also in the ‘top ten’ list in Native Bees of the Sydney Region – A Field Guide. It flowers over a long period and is tough and reliable.

 Coastal or Native Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa)

Autumn is a great month for planting, as temperatures drop and the harsh summer sun eases but the soil is still warm enough to promote plant growth. Now is the time to sow seeds for Spring, especially for Winter or Spring flowering annuals, as well as all your Winter veggies. 

Here’s a few more tips to help the bees along in your garden with just few simple steps:

  • Choose pollinator-friendly species, such as thistles, lavender and oregano, for your garden. 
  • Ensure there is always something in flower, from early Spring to late Autumn and onwards into Winter. 
  • Mow the lawn less often, even just in a small patch, as this allows dandelions, clovers and other plants to flower. Autumn is a great time to ease off on the mowing as the grass won't be growing as quickly as it does in mid-Summer.
  • Avoid pesticides. Pollinators can ingest these poisons when they feed from flowers.
  • Cover as much of your garden as possible in flowery borders and natural lawns, rather than paving and decking. 
  • Pots, hanging baskets and window boxes can further supplement the food supply.

Autumn is also a great time to make mulch that will make your soil richer and help support healthier plants. A mulch bin or a worm farm is an investment that brings big dividends long term.

You can visit the Green Life Garden Centre at Johnson Brothers Hardware Mitre 10 at Mona Vale for all your plants and there's also some great specials in the current catalogue, available until March 13, to save you time in traffic and money= more time in the garden!



Earthcore Planting Compost and Earthcore Mushroom Compost - both currently $6.00


Tumbleweed Compost Bin 240L Kit: $149.00
Includes: Tumbleweed 240L Compost Bin Bundle, 1 x Tumbleweed 240L Compost Bin, 1 x Tumbleweed Premium Compost Accelerator, 1 x Tumbleweed Compost Blanket, 1 x Tumbleweed Compost Aerator


Tumbleweed Worm Farm Kit: $55.00
Worm Feast Bundle Deal; 1 x Worm Feast Worm Farm, 1 x Worm Farm Bedding Block, 1 x Worm Farm & Compost Conditioner


Lattice Wire Hanging Basket Green 40cm: $18.05
Perfect for creating beautiful floral and plant arrangements in your garden or on your balcony. Low maintenance. Strong metal chain. Sturdy construction.


Mr Fothergill's Bulbs Daffodil Ice Follies 3 Bulbs: $6.50
Plant in Autumn/Early Winter. Flowers in Spring.


We want to thank all of you for supporting and trusting us through this 2020, without you we could not be receiving these two important awards.

Thank you for being our customer and thanks to all our great staff for making this possible especially though this full of surprises year.

Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Update: Shop Online Options

Intending to keep our customers and staff safe, we present some additional ways for both our retail and trade customers to do business with us.

Trade and Retail Pick Up

Express Pick up Mona Vale

- Call Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale, and we will pick & pack your order and have it ready for you to pick up in 2 hours. (Stocked Lines Only)

- Drive into our undercover Trade Drive-Thru area at 73 Bassett St Mona Vale, and your order will be ready for pick-up.

- Our team members will help you with your load and finalise payment/paperwork

Express Pick up Avalon

- Call Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Avalon, and we will pick & pack your order and have it ready for you to pick up in 2 hours. (Stocked Lines Only)

- Drive into our back lane off Bellevue Avenue, and your order will be ready for pick-up.

- Our team members will help you with your load and finalise payment/paperwork

Online Retail Stores Go Live

We’ve launched two eCommerce sites offering 2hr pick up in-store and flat rate delivery options on the northern beaches*.

Jbhmv.com.au (Mona Vale)

Jbhav.com.au (Avalon)

With the ability to leave the product on your doorstep, this provides an option of an entirely contactless transaction.

*Flat rate delivery is not available to trade sales, building supplies and trade quantities

** The stock availability is updated nightly, which may mean the stock is unavailable when the order is placed

Trade Delivery to Site

Maybe not new, but certainly worth a mention again!

We can get almost anything delivered quickly onto site!

As always ring the trade desk direct on 9999 0333 and let them know what you need!

Final Thought

Like everyone, we have found ourselves in a new and uncertain environment, but we’re setting up (and digging in) for the long haul!

We want to acknowledge that the decision to retain over 120 staff and meet any future challenges head-on, could not have happened without the continued support you provide us as customers.

Thank you and stay safe,

The Johnson Family


Green Life Garden Centre at Johnson Brothers Mona Vale has a great stock of seedlings, native and other plants and all you need to get gardening in brilliant Autumn weather

Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Trade Centre at Mona Vale - everything you need under one roof.


Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 New Store
73 Bassett Street
Mona Vale - Online Store: Jbhmv.Com.Au

Products advice is available from the trained friendly staff at Narrabeen, Mona Vale and Avalon Johnson Brothers Mitre 10. 

Click on logo to visit Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 website

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 - Avalon            (02) 9918 3315

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 - Mona Vale     (02) 9999 3340

JBH Timber & Building Supplies          (02) 9999 0333

JBH Fencing & Landscape Supplies    (02) 9970 6333

www.johnsonbros.com.au Online store: jbhmv.com.au

Previous DIY Pages:

Decking Timbers  Caring For Your Deck Decking Finishes  Privacy Screens I Privacy Screens II  Privacy Screening Hardwoods  Autumn Paths and Lawns  Insulation Batts Plasterboard  Ventilation - Edmond's Ecofan Blackboards for Children and Home Spring Lawn Care  Shade Sails & Watering  Basic DIY Tools DIY Tools - Power Drills Recycle Your Trampoline into An Air Bed  How to Build Your Own Backyard Cricket Pitch Christmas Lights Displays around House and Garden Summer Mildew - Refresh, Renew How to Fix Things That Drip and Bump in the Night Time To Plant Winter Vegetables in  a Raised Garden Beds Layout Organsing Your Tool Shed  Make Your Own Weathervane Installing A Garden Watering System  Decking Oils  How To Make Garden Compost  How To Winter proof Your Lawn  How to create Shabby Chic effect on Timber Furniture How to Build Your Own Raised Garden Bed  Growing Your Own Winter Vegies  Winter Heating Guide  Prepare Your Yard For Winter Eradicating Noxious Weeds From Your Yard How to Fix Furniture Finishes Part I  How to Repair Scratches, Dings, and Dents of Furniture Surfaces - Part II Winter Draughts Fix  Classic Wooden Tool Carrier Spring Garden Checklist Part I  Install Your Own Skylight  Retaining Walls for Saving Soil and New Spring Garden Beds  Summer Salad Garden  Native Plant Garden for A Fairy Arbour Renewing Short Flight of Exterior Stairs Deck Maintenance DIY Summer Tasks You Can Do In Time to Get to the Beach  Garden Ponds for Attracting Birdlife, Dragonflies and for the Soothing Sounds of Water  Salt Air: Maintenance and Protection Creating an Outdoor Dining Arbour, Gazebo or Patio - Part I Creating an Outdor Dining Arbour, Gazebo or Patio Part II  Autumn Garden Tasks  Autumn DIY Jobs: Waterproof Your Home Checklist  Dealing With Dampness Inside the Home  Fixing Your Fence  Repairing and Replacing Damaged Decking boards  DIY Toy Box and Snow Globes: School Holidays Fun - Winter 2015  DIY Wooden Toy Cars and Perfect Painted Flowerpots: School Holiday Fun - Winter 2015  Shoring Up an Under House Earth Bank – Installing a Basic Retaining Wall  DIY One Shelf Sideboard  Early Spring 2015 Garden Care Salad Garden For Children  Keeping Your Garden and Home Cool in Hot Weather  Classic Beach Garden and Camping Chairs 3 Portable Versions Anyone Can Make DIY Outdoor Furniture Mark I: Park Benches for Your Garden Make Your Own Scooter or Skateboard: Summer 2016 Fun  How to Install a Solid Core Door and Door Furniture  Summer Garden Jobs: Pruning A Hedge  How to Make A Swing Chair - With A Frame for Garden Setting  Garden Jobs for March to Make A Beautiful and Healthy Spring  Keeping Outdoor Nooks Warm During Cooler Months  Children’s Step Stool with Storage  Stop Winter Rain Lawn Loss and Soil Erosion on Slopes  DIY Garden Shed: Part 1 of 4 - Base  DIY Garden Shed: Part 2 - Framing Walls  DIY Garden Shed: Part 2b - Gable Roof Framing  Garden Shed Part 3: Roof Installation  DIY Garden Shed: Weather- boards - Door And Window Installation And Paint Finish DIY Coffee Table With Chessboard Inlay  Spring Gardening: Feeding Your Soil And Plants - What Works For Each Plant  DIY Sandstone Flagging Parking Area - Platform  DIY Pre-Summer Checklist For A Safe Home   Summer Spruce Up: Interior Paint Tips and Three easy steps to rejuvenate your timber deck The Perfect BBQ Garden Setting DIY Water Wise Garden   DIY Side Gates  DIY Storm Preparation And Home Protection  One To Two Day DIY Weekend Spruce Ups  Vegepods For Autumn Planting + Easy To Make Lego Table Or Student Desk That Can Be Dismantled + Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Online Store   Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Great New Mona Vale Store: Still In Bassett Street - number 73  Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 New Mona Vale Store: The Greenlife Garden Centre  Go Outside And Play: Creating Garden Spaces To Connect Children With Nature DIY Plasterboard Repair DIY Dolls House Or Garage Or Boatshed  DIY Child's Waggon - or use as a large planter mover DIY Bathroom Refresh: Zing For Spring  Tips for Growing a Native Garden FireCrunch, Australian Developed Fire-proof, Sustainable, Durable and Reliable Building Board Now Available at Johnson Bros. at Mona Vale and Narrabeen School Holidays DIY Ideas for Children: Little Vegetables Garden, Swing, Windchimes Bushfire Season Preparation 2017: Home and Outdoor Areas  Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Trade Centre at Mona Vale + Issue No 1 of Mitre 10’s inSITE Magazine for Tradies and Handymen  Preparing Al Fresco Areas for Christmas Get-Togethers and Summer Visitors  Summer De-bug; 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Mitre 10, great new video By Community Requests Autumn/February 2021 re-run: Garden Design and Plant Management to Minimise Tick Attacks and Infestations

______________________

John and Bob Johnson - The Johnson Brothers Profile  John William Alfred Johnson - The Eulogies for those who could not attend Mass

Australia's Prime Minister Visits Mackellar - Informal Afternoon Tea with Hon. Malcolm Turnbull October 2016

JBH Win Awards August 2018 Trifecta - 2018 Free Trade Day supporters, Mitre 10 Heritage Advert features JBH Mona Vale Store, Hardware Australia’s 2018 NSW Hardware Store of the Year over 2500sqm.

Front Page Issue 294: 2018 Winners Of National Hardware Store Of The Year - Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale !!!

National Garden Week's 2019 Focus Is On Children(Oct 13-19): School Holiday Garden Ideas (to get started on) & Congratulations Award Winning Johnson Brothers Mitre10 At Mona Vale - 2019 NSW Store Of the Year2019 NSW Trade Centre Of the Year and 2019 Village Garden Centre of the Year

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 were awarded as the best Trade Store in the country: February 2020

Family Hardware Store Wins Best In Australia: Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale Crowned ‘National Trade Store Of The Year’ - Celebrating 65th Year in 2020

Anzac Day In Pittwater 2020: Candles, Crosses and Online Commemorative Services: Johnson Brothers Family Donates 20 Thousand Candles to Community Light Up The Dawn Initiativ

Front Page Issue 447ANZAC DAY 202


John, Bob and Robert Johnson, 2013 - photo by A J Guesdon.
Important 
All information and tips in this publication are of a general nature only and neither Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 or Pittwater Online News does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information and tips in this publication. This publication is not intended to be a substitute for expert advice. Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 advises you to always consult an experienced and qualified person when undertaking jobs of this kind (including consulting a qualified tradesperson such as an electrician or plumber where relevant expert services are required). 

You should also consider any safety precautions that may be necessary when undertaking the work described in this publication (including wearing any necessary safety equipment such as safety glasses, goggles or ear protectors or hard hats). The information and tips in this publication are provided on the basis that Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 and Pittwater Online News excludes all liability for any loss or damage which is suffered or incurred (including, but not limited to, indirect and consequential loss or damage and whether or not such loss or damage could have been foreseen) for any personal injury or damage to property whatsoever resulting from the use of the information and tips in this publication. 

Pittwater Online News and Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 also advises there may be laws, regulations or by-laws with which you must comply when undertaking the work described in this publication. You should obtain all necessary permissions and permits from council and/or any other relevant statutory body or authority before carrying out any work. Major projects published in this publication always list these and/orlinks to where you may research what your own project requires to meet regulations.