I do not want any bees to die off & I love honey. That being said there is a stand in pollinator: The blue orchard bees also do not produce honey, rarely sting and, owing to their solitary nature, do not swarm. They are incredibly efficient pollinators of many tree fruit crops—on a typical acre, 2,000 blue orchard bees can do the work of more than 100,000 honeybees. Their biggest drawback is that beekeepers can only increase their populations by a factor of three to eight each year. (Honey bees can grow from a small colony consisting of a queen and a few dozen workers to a population of 20,000 foragers in a few months.) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/other-bee-species-subbing-for-honeybees/

Its all too easy to demonize chemicals. Its harder for each of us to take responsibility for what we put into our yards. The kicker that I get, is that when we are taught to use said chemicals, we are told NOT to spray during bloom specifically due to the fact you may spray bees. There are many other pollinators then bees that we need to watch out for, and all are present and a different time. The sprays are NOT species specific and you wipe out all insects in the sprayed area. There would more then likely be residue all over the place which bees pick up, bring to their colonies and spread it around in their honey and to each other. There are also over spray issues. Even with the recommended spray regime you get overspray that blows away. There arent too many places where the wind doesnt blow when you want it to. Most pest and disease problems usually stem from monoculture, or improper planting/plant choice for any climate. Why plant an apple orchard on the east coast, where fungus are abound due to the relatively moist humid climate? Is it really worth it to plant 2 species of ash in a city as the primary tree? The city here was almost completely treeless after dutch elm wiped out the elms, leaving a few other trees, which were replaced by ash. Now there is emerald ash borer. There is also the problem of fragmented forests. Farmland mostly planted as monoculture, which is sprayed against insects, and protected against birds (the Dept of agro wipes out tens of millions of birds a year stricktly to "protect crops") Now there is a problem of lack of ability to let many species survive in the wild because it cant support them due to size. Lack of food and territory is a problem, so they come into the city, which is polluted and still has gardens sprayed just as religiously as farms. Any ecosystem has a certain balance of species dependent on size. A jaguar in S america needs 130-300 square miles of pure rainforest. Grizzly bears need the general same large area. Insects, including bees need a certain number of species and sources of pollen in which to be able to live in any given area. Lawns are a problem too. CLover and dandelion in fact create a nicer thicker lawn that doesnt need chemicals to keep it fertlilized. They also are excellent sources of pollen for insects.

There are about 11-12 different Ph. nigras that are commonly available in the U.S. Not all of them get black (like Henon (gray-green), or Boryana (mottled), or Shimadake (brown-striped)), and, of those that get completely black, the differences in size and color are somewhat debatable. Most nigras do best in full sun, as long as it's not blazing all day, but they also do well in a variety of shade conditions. Names like "Black Jade" and "Ebony" are sales gimmicks, but other names, like 'Hale' legitimately differentiate a slightly different cultivar. If you want traditional Black bamboo, get it from a real bamboo dealer, or at least a seller that doesn't use cute names. Soil, water, light and fertilizing will make the biggest difference in your result. Below is a link where you can see photos of the various Ph. nigras, and read about differences. Just go to the dropdown box and look alphabetically. Here is a link that might be useful: BambooWeb

I suspect very few of us knew our styles when we first got married, and many of us keep fine-honing it all our lives, so you're in excellent company. I love all the great ideas and pictures posted here. I think you'll find some fun inspiration in your local library in magazines and books, and by googling key words and clicking on "images." You can save your favorite pictures to folders on your computer marked "living room," "bedroom," "curtains," etc. Paint is always a cheap way to dramatically change the look and feel of a room. You might even ask the guys at the paint store if you can look at their pile of paints people rejected -- they sell those very cheap, like about $3/gallon, and you may find just the color you want. It's worth a shot. Check out your local Craigslist. You'll find everything under the sun on it and lots of bargains if you're willing to wade through some junk that makes you laugh. You can go see things before you buy, you save lotsa dough, you meet folks and make them happy, and your $ doesn't go to some big box store. Plus, you can sell things you have you don't love and buy things you like better. It's free to advertise there. If you're looking for something specific, check it every day because the biggest bargains get sold fastest. Take pictures of your rooms. You'd be amazed what you see in pictures that you didn't see in person, like a picture hung crooked or too high, or an imbalance in your accessories, or dust bunnies, or whatever... but things will jump out at you. Some things are very easy to do yourself to save lots of money, like re-covering dining chairs, refinishing table tops, stripping old furniture and sewing curtains. You'll learn what you love or hate doing by jumping in and trying. There are tons of instructions for all sorts of projects on the web, and plenty of helpful folks all over the Garden Forum. We're on your side, eager to see your before and after pictures, and happy to help any way we can. Post pics and ask your questions. So yes, you CAN change your home's look and add loads of charm on a very tight budget -- many of us here do that -- and there are many charming cottage designs that say "come on in and make yourself at home!"