Rusty patched bumble bees were once a common sight from Maine to Minnesota, through the South, including the Appalachians. Yet today, total numbers are down by almost 90%, with existing populations being very…

In this season of frigid weather and no gardening, I have a couple of things to help me get through the winter. Hot soup, the pursuit of hygge (the Danish…

I awoke this morning to lovely early sunshine on snowy ground. I hope this post finds you well and hopeful. Happy New Year! 2016 was a big year for this…

Giving money to organizations that help bees thrive is a good thing. The right organization can offer new ideas and political strengths that are beyond the individual. I have made a…

Raw honey is one special product. Unprocessed, it is pure honey that has not been heated or filtered. This lack of processing is a good thing, for it offers many benefits.…

There are three great reasons to grow garlic. For one, the flavor of homegrown garlic is great, better than the supermarket variety. Two, the allicin compound in garlic repels…

Want some ideas for your own organic vegetable garden? My local botanical garden, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, in Boylston, MA, knows how to do a vegetable garden. It is not…

Fall is an important time for the bees. It is their last opportunity to build up nectar and pollen stores before Winter. Here are the most nutritious fall bee flowers (for…

When bees die from the shortsighted actions of a few, we must speak up. As you may already know, millions of honey bees were immediately annihilated in an aerial spraying against Zika on August…

A recent check on my two beehives showed me very little honey stores. (Though the bees are building up well and had no signs of disease.) I was not surprised. This…

It was a long time coming, these raised beds. I first “built” my vegetable garden, with the help of my Dad, about 14 years ago. We created four “L”…

My vacations are always better when I combine it with a trip to a botanical garden. So during a recent vacation in mid-coast Maine, I was lucky enough to…

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden to visit in Boothbay Harbor, Maine (zone 5b). Because it is lush with bee-friendly plants and they use organic methods, it is a…

As it turns out, hydrangeas vary in their ability to feed the bees. Unfortunately, the very common and showy Mophead hydrangeas, or Hydrangea macrophylla hortensis (some seen above) do not feed the bees…

While a swarm of bees can be scary, even terrifying for some, it is not something to fear. Here are the easy steps for how to deal with a swarm.…

I am careful about eliminating the chemicals in my yard and home. Admittedly, though, I had not been thinking about the chemicals that could be coming out of my garden…

Something amazing happened here. Before I tell you, though, I need to back up. My only two hives had died by early winter, last year. This is a sad, but unfortunately,…

Saving the honey bees means not only planting the flowers they like, but also planting a lot of the flowers they like. I call this “abundant gardening.” The good news…

Looking for some pollinator friendly plants to add to your yard? Be sure to add some salvias. The salvia plant family is a magnet for all pollinators–including bees, butterflies, and…

With all of those herbs you are growing for the pollinators (Herbs Are Great for Bees), it is easy to make a delicious herb vinegar to capture the season. I use…

I recently received a delivery of plants I ordered online. Joy! While I try to get my plants locally, I can’t always find certain plants or varieties locally. So then I…