The Space Flower | #TimPeakeUpdate

The ISS crew have made another breakthrough with their scientific exploration - they've grown a space flower. This is actually the first ever flower which has bloomed in space. This particular flower is a Zinnia flower. In December, ISS Commander - Scott Kelly tweeted an image of the plant wilted and mouldy, but the crew successfully worked their magic - and it bloomed! :) You might think, what's the point? Some plants are grown on the ISS for educational outreach - like this one! Others are grown as food for the crew - in actual fact  they grew lettuce which was ideal for the crew because they could have fresh lettuce! It might not sound like much, but when you've been eating space food for a while, fresh lettuce must taste amazing! It also opens up a whole load of avenues when it comes to maybe feeding a growing population.

The Bee Problem

Although summer may be over, we've still got a bee problem. This is the story of why they're struggling.

Their numbers are declining rapidly. It's not just that we might end up with fewer bees buzzing around our garden during the summer - we might actually loose our flowers because of it. Bees play a vital role in the life of our flowers, they help pollinate our flowers- without them we would be left to pollinating flowers ourselves with paintbrushes, because if flowers aren't pollinated, then they don't bloom. If the bee problem continues, it's not just are gardens which will feel the affect - crops will too. Our food supplies are at huge risk, think about all the plants which flower then fruit appears, our breakfasts might look very different in a few years time.