Bees

Here in my Zone 5b Massachusetts garden we are in the second half of October and it is unseasonably warm. We have had many 70 degree days with no…

Recently in a Facebook Gardening group, we had a member ask the group if she should use Roundup as a weedkiller. The reaction was swift and fierce, with comments,…

Even on vacation I am a bit obsessed with bees. I love spotting bees (both wild and honey), then determining which flowers are popular. I call these the bee…

Bravo! You want to save the bees. But where do you begin? Here’s my take on how you can help. It’s not hard, just a few deliberate steps in…

Not so sweet news from a recent Science study. In honey samples taken from around the world, 75% had detectable levels of neonicotinoids in them. North America had the highest…

It is September here in central Massachusetts, which means goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is at its peak and looks great. The bright yellow color can light up a garden or…

Do some flower shopping–either in a nursery or online–and you will quickly come across native cultivars. These are native flowers that have been selected or hybridized, to produce a…

Did you know that there is a small group of flowers that not only feed the bees really well, but also attract beneficial insects to your garden? These five…

There are many great bee flowers that also work well in wildflower beds. So why not combine the two purposes? Create wildflower beds that will feed bees (both native and honey),…

Happy Earth Day everyone (April 22)! I’ve included a few ideas for actions you can take on Earth Day to celebrate the day, while also helping the Earth. I’m emphasizing political action…