Read more about the article YouTube: Wildflowers for Bees
Bee on a cardoon

YouTube: Wildflowers for Bees

Continue ReadingYouTube: Wildflowers for Bees

This week's YouTube video shares tips about what wildflowers to grow to encourage and feed bees and other pollinators in your garden. Wildflowers are easy to grow, most of the time you just scatter seeds before a rain comes and wait. They also re-seed themselves year after year, so the whole endeavor requires minimal effort. Wildflower seed blends are available through many native plant societies or seed catalogs. Just pick the varieties that grow well in your region. Try to…

Read more about the article YouTube: Herbs for Bees
Mints, yarrow and squash fill the space.

YouTube: Herbs for Bees

Continue ReadingYouTube: Herbs for Bees

This week's YouTube video is all about Herbs for Bees. Find out which herbs to grow for your pollinator population. Christy shares fun facts about borage, and encourages you to let your herb garden flower each season before cutting back. Herbs are an essential part of any culinary garden. Most flower at the end of the season, providing pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators. Watch this video to learn more about creating a bee-friendly herb garden. Herbs for…

Read more about the article Review: Natural Beekeeping Conference 2016
The bees enjoyed the flowers of bolting kale and mustard greens.

Review: Natural Beekeeping Conference 2016

Continue ReadingReview: Natural Beekeeping Conference 2016

I had the good fortune of being a speaker at the first ever Natural Beekeeping Conference that took place this weekend in Pasadena, CA. Honeylove.org organized the event. They gathered top experts in treatment-free beekeeping from around the continent, and welcomed guests from all over the world. Yours truly taught Gardening for Beekeepers. Most of my beekeeping colleagues have attended regular beekeeping conferences, only to find themselves flabbergasted by the amount of attention given to chemicals: miticides, fungicides, artificial food…

Read more about the article Field Trip: Honey Tasting Competition
Ours was #17. Would we win?

Field Trip: Honey Tasting Competition

Continue ReadingField Trip: Honey Tasting Competition

You would never know how different honey can taste from hive to hive until you've tasted a few samples side by side. It's astounding, really. The flavor profiles range from grassy to floral to fruity, just like a good wine or chocolate. This past Sunday, beekeepers from all around submitted their honey for the Honeylove Honey Tasting Competition. There were jars sent from as far away as Nepal and as close by as our backyard. 17 samples in all, and…

Read more about the article Bee Hive Rescue – Fascinating Stuff!
New home for bees

Bee Hive Rescue – Fascinating Stuff!

Continue ReadingBee Hive Rescue – Fascinating Stuff!

Every once in a while, bees find a home at Ocean View Farms organic community garden. Sadly, we can't legally keep them there, but instead of calling the exterminators, a bee rescue team came to relocate them to a new home. I was on hand for said event, and it was thrilling to watch. Here's a play by play. The bees had taken up residence in a storage box. Rob McFarland of HoneyLove.org lit a smoker to start the process.…

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