Summer may have arrived earlier than usual this year, but one thing that still seems to be missing is the friendly buzz of the bumble bee. Up and down the country, gardeners are reporting that the bees that usually pollinate their flowers are nowhere to be seen, and this has caused a great deal of concern about where these animals have gone to.

All the usual suspects of climate change and pollution are being trotted out, along with the radiation from mobile phones, but these are not the real answers to the questions. In fact, at the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual Chelsea Flower Show, many of the exhibitors have stated that there is no shortage of bees, and that all that has happened is that because the weather is warmer earlier, the flowers have come out before the bees have emerged from their hibernation.

The gardening experts believe that the late arrival of the bees this year may actually have a positive effect for gardeners up and down the country, as plants will display their flowers for longer than usual while they wait for pollination, and this will mean more colorful gardens throughout the summer months.

Of course more flowers for more time might mean more misery for hay fever sufferers, but for the rest of us, the late arrival of the bees ought to mean a more pleasant environment over a longer period of time this year, giving us all plenty of opportunities to enjoy the bright colors of flowers in our gardens, along with more chance to get our gardens to look their best throughout the summer.

One thing that is certain is that as soon as the bees get more used to the warmer weather that we are enjoying at the moment, they will emerge earlier too, allowing us to enjoy all the trimmings of summer at the same time.