by Angela Cole
acole@thekmgroup.co.uk

There was a buzz of excitement around Maidstone’s Mote Park when a film crew descended to recordfilm bee-friendly planting.
As part of improvements across the historic park, volunteers and Friends have been planting trees and shrubs which keep the bumble bee population happy.
BBC’s Countryfile programme visited earlier this month to see how park managers are helping the insects thrive and the footage was broadcast on Sunday.
As part of improvements across the historic park, volunteers have been placing trees and shrubs which keep the bee population happy. They
Volunteers also enjoyed a novel way of spreading seeds – by popping bags filled with them.
Maidstone council’s audience development manager, Alan Frith, said: “It is about planting the right sort of plants. A lot of the plants that we grow in our gardens are absolutely useless to bees. They are the wrong shape and the bees cannot access the pollen.”
Around 50 people turned out in bitter weather for the to plant trees and shrubs and were filming,med, after the charity Buglife put the park’s name forward to programme makers.
Mr Frith was also interviewed about on bee-friendly planting and organising volunteers. The programme of planting is part of massive improvements around the park, which include new walk ways and signs, and will include planting wild flower meadows. The planting day was one of a number of free events which have also been organised and have proved popular. They include teddy bears’ picnics and wildlife walks.
Mote Park Friends and volunteers are due to launch themselves as a new group, the Mote Park Fellowship, and will hold an open day at Maidstone Leisure Centre in Mote Park on Saturday, April 27.