In April
I celebrate the bee.
I celebrate the bee.
A skep makes a wonderful cover for cheese or cinnamon rolls!
A bee night light chases the dark.
A spoonful of honey
is so delicious in my tea.
I read about the wonders of green tea!
I also read our bodies cannot absorb the antioxidants without citrus.
Lemon in my tea please!
For the last few years I have followed
the colony collapse disorder our honey bees have faced.
This article reminds us of what we can do as gardenrs to help the Honey Bee.
"What can we do? First, avoid using pesticides."
I have never used pesticides. But what about my neighbors? I just saw a chemical lawn spraying truck drive down my street. I think the chemicals are a health hazard.
Killing dandelions is killing a food source for our bees. I also think the run off is polluting our waterways. Perhaps I need to speak up. Perhaps I am too subtle. Perhaps I need to do more.
I bought a dozen organic pears at the market.
I bought a dozen organic pears at the market.
They have a few life spots. They are delicious.
At dusk my husband and I went for our evening walk. We watched a bat hunt bugs over the pond. I stamped my calender, first bat of the season!
Last night on the news there was a report that thousands of bats are dying.
I watched PBS's Nature program. It was about all the frogs that are dying, millions!
It is sad, so very, very sad.
The Okinawa Holly bonsai bloomed this morning.
I felt great joy when I watered her.
She needs a haircut!
The darling bee things in my house are delightful.
I smile when I see them.
I need to stir up more bee awareness.
I need to take some action.
27 comments:
My dear Sherry.....I to am speaking out......I have tried for the last few weeks to find English honey at the supermarket...I have not been able to find any....this is so sad......I can only buy it at the farm shop now.....
Frogs are in decline here and bats......
My neighbours do not spray.......I am also surround by sheep farmers, so no sprays in the fields.....thank goodness.....
I have bats in my loft .....they are brown long eared bats
The more gardeners become aware of the damage they do using sprays etc, then so much the better for our wildlife.......
I think I shall have to start posting about the issues you raise and showing how gardeners can help....
At the end of the day we can have a garden full of insects etc and still have a wonderful garden.....as far as I am concerned it is more beautiful with the bugs......
Wonderful post Sherry......
Hi Sherry, I love the bloom on the bonsai. It looks like an orchid bloom.
All of your bees are sweet. I have sent you an email about a Citizen Scientist project you might be interested in.
Yes, this world is going to implode I am afraid. Scary.
A wonderful post Sherry! We don't use any pesticides either but the lawn spraying has begun in our neighbourhood :-( I share the same concerns as you.
We no longer get a lawn service to do our lawn, although weedkiller is banned here now and most pesticides. Once we get over the "I must have a better lawn than my neighbour" syndrome, it's amazing how much money we save.
I love honey, and bought lots the last time I went to Portugal, as it is so delicious. I don't know what is different about it, perhaps the different types of flowers?
Dear Cheryl,
I am having my lunch on a darling bee plate and thinking....it just is not enough any more for me to be subtle. It is not enough for me to be aware and enjoy the bees in my backyard. I need to speak up and out! I think I need to join a group of some sort that fights the use of chemicals....Maybe I need to get mad rather than just be so sad!
I could march for the bees! Perhaps I can think of an Earth Day activity that would be positive.
Thank goodness the bats are safe with you. The report I heard was so terrible. All these bats are waking up too soon, before there are bugs...the bats are starving to death. Just writing about it brings tears to my eyes.
The amphibians are also dying off all over the world. I am so sad...
I think a garden full of bugs is a beautiful garden. When I see a bug free enviroment I am so sad. I think "Bug killers are about. Be careful!"
I love the birds and the bugs....
I will plant more flowering herbs this year for the bees and the butterflies. I will speak up where ever I go.
Bees have rights too...
Thank you Cheryl.
I shall be posting more about what we CAN do too.
Sherry
Dear Lisa,
Thank you for the link. I shall join in. Anything for the bees!
I was so happy to see the bonsi bloom. Taking care of Okinawa is an honor. Taking care of the plant world and the waterways are an honor. I just cannot understand why we need all the pollution! I cannot understand why we are putting up with it?
I agree, the way things are going our planet will implode.
Hugs,
Sherry
Dear Deb,
What can we do? The liguid fertilizers and the weed killers are killing our bugs....
We just have do something! I am outraged. I think the programs last night just put me over the edge.
Sherry
Dear Sheila,
I am so happy to know pesticides and weed killers are banned in your city. Smart community you live in.
I agree once people get over the "my lawn is greener than your lawn" maybe progress will be made. I really think it was a post W.W.II marketing program that people bought into that said a "lawn" was success. I do love my bio-diversity grounds. The clover is so pretty in the summer.
The honey you love from Portugal would be because of the flowers. Maybe it says on your honey jar.
Honey is the best!
Sherry
Hi Sherry, I've just been catching up with your blog - I haven't had time to visit for a while. I do like the look of the green housekeeping book (I use a lot of vinegar and baking soda in my cleaning too).
I would love to see a world-wide ban on pesticides (Sheila - are they banned completely in Canada, or just in your area? - sounds like I should move there for my health!) - it would be better for bees, frogs, other wildlife, and for us too. A campaigner here in the UK has recently won a court battle against our government over their failure to implement laws to protect the health of people living in areas where there is regular pesticide spraying, but it remains to be seen what, if anything, will change as a result - instead of taking action, they are appealing the decision.
I only know of this organisation campaigning against pesticides generally, and they're UK-based - though their website has some useful information for people anywhere. There is a link to an article about pesticides and bees in the news section on the left. I hope you find some likeminded campaigners over there.
PS - look what I just found - there's a PAN North America too!
We also have a pesticide-free community. There is a dermatologist living in our area who has lobbied our town council for years about health hazards due to pesticides. I am very thankful for Dr. Irwin. She has written articles and appeared in the local newspapers.
If you feel a need to speak out, then go for it. There must be others like you. Maybe just waiting for the right time or the right person to start the ball rolling.
Good luck. I too find it very sad our bats and frogs are dying. (and bees of course).
I love honey and I enjoyed reading this post! Thank you, Sherry! Now, I have a question. Do you know why it is so difficult to find linden honey in this country? It's very popular in Europe, and for me it's the best honey in the world. I miss it!
I love the dandilions. Why must we all have to fight and struggle with everything.
Keep beeing aware Sherry.
Dear Juliet,
Thank you for your kind support. I will check out the link. I feel as if I am too passive and I must speak out more...Pan North America is great. I will get involved.
So good to hear from from you.
Sherry
Dear Wendy,
I would love to learn how to lobby for a pesticide free city.
We need the world to be pesticide free. I hope we do something before it is too late. I must stay mad and not become so sad!
Hugs,
Sherry
Dear Tatyana,
I do not know why finding Linden Honey is so difficult. I guess it must be a special honey in just certain areas of the country? Maybe you could find it on the internet. I would google search and see where it is carried. If you could order a case it would save on the enviromental impact of shipping. I do like to buy local but sometimes I cannot.
Looking forward to catching up with your journal.
Sherry
Dear Bernie,
"Bee Awareness" is my Spring campaign! I am thinking of ways to bring the plight of the bees to more people's awareness. Surely everyone loves the honey bee!
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I caught parts of the same PBS program about the frogs, and my seven year old daughter watched it with me. It makes me feel so terrible inside - so uneasy. It made her feel terrible, too, and while I hate to have her feel frightened, part of me thinks it is good to have our children thinking about this.
We must do something! I have switched to an all organic lawn service and I plan to fertilize with organic products - fish emulsion for my containers? I will start that compost pile that I've thought about the past few years. How about rain barrels?
Laura in Naperville, IL
As always I enjoy Green Mondays...I like that term - "life spots".
I hope the bees begin to recover as people become more aware. I find my journey in gardening has shifted my views of what a nice garden is... I used to walk by a house and admire the trees and plants visible over the fence and the nice tidy patch of lawn in front -- little did I realize that that neat patch is constantly soaked in chemicals to kill weeds, chemicals to grow the grass, water to keep it green, and much gasoline to keep it trimmed. Now, when I see a green lawn with those little flags "danger to animals and people" I shudder a little.
I love that you have themes for each month and season. Bees are very wonderful indeed. I really enjoy watching them this time of year as they are getting excited about all the flowers.
I think thats a great idea to have a calendar that you stamp to tell the story of what you did that day. Very clever.
Good morning, Sherry! What a lovely way to start my day as I look back at all the posts I've missed this past week--the photos of the flowers in ice are beautiful, though I hope they all survived. But I'm especially excited to see all the activity at your hous--the birds, the bees, and a butterfly! No butterflies here yet, though I saw many in Arizona in an exhibit.
Thanks to people like you and Cheryl, I have become so much more aware of the plight of the bees in this past year. I don't use pesticides either, and I'm planning a new garden area this spring with primarily flowers that will attract the bees and butterflies. I'm hoping they will like it here.
I love all the fun bee stuff! It's so great that you have so many wonderful things to show-case for each season. It keeps things fresh and interesting.
I didn't know about the citrus/tea factor. Thanks for passing that along. I always seem to learn something new from you!
Have a great week!
Love, Vikki
Dear Laura,
It is sad that so many of Earth's species are dying. Learning ways to lesson the impact of human's presence on the earth is what I am hoping we can do. Our children need to understand how important it is to protect the rain forests and to have clean energy. I think living a balanced life is teaching by example! Maybe your daughter and you can do an Earth Day project! Maybe you could plant a tree or install rain barrels? I do love mine. Our compost is what I use for "food" for the gardens. I also use it for mulch. When we clean the pond we use the water in the gardens. I like the idea of "no waste." Each week I work at having less trash and more full use. Maybe you and your daughter can start Green Monday at your house and find one new way each week to be green. Living Green is the best!
Sherry
Dear Chris,
If I plant enough for the critters and me I am not upset when the bugs or the bunnies get my produce!
I will cover my peas this year until they are bigger since I know there are eaters out there.
Some plants I want the leaves to be eaten...the spicebushes are for the caterpillers of the spicebush swallowtail!
I also shudder when I see a too green and too mono-cultured lawn. Scary stuff...I wonder why people ever bought into this as the sign of success. To me it looks foolish.
Mother Nature plants the prettist lawns and meadows. I love the way she provides for the bees too.
Sherry
Dear Stacey,
My house is small and for me to be able to enjoy every thing I love I "switch-out" each month. Somethings I love so much I will keep them out all year....I always have a bee or two buzzing about!
Stamping the calendar began a few years ago. It is fun. I also can see at a glance when it rained or when I walked last!
Always looking for ways to enjoy life!
Sherry
Dear Rose,
A butterfly garden is wonderful! The bees will love it too. You will be amazed how many different butterflies you will see. As more gardeners become aware of the needs of the butterflies I hope the butterfly populations increase. Many plants that come from nurseries are sterile. I always ask. If you can grow from seed it is fun. Adding "seed to seed" gardening to your style is nice.
I will enjoy watching your gardens grow this season.
Sherry
Dear Vikki,
I do have lots of stuff! Switching it out is the best way for me.
I love my lemon in my water and my tea. Nice way to get my V-c too. I like to get as much from my food as I can. If I have to take supplements it is just until I figure out a way to get my vitamins and minerals from my food. Herbs are good for taste and nutrition. I am crazy for mint right now!
I would love to do a cooking blog! It would be good for me! Not only is eating complicated but I need to let go of a few pounds! It would be fun to make up recipes and share them. I need to learn how to photograph food.
Sherry
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