Earthly Garden

Mornin’ earthly gardeners,

Just got this link to a great article from Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden Seeds. It’s all about lettuce…how to plant, different varieties, etc. Lettuce can be planted in pots, too.

More on the disappearing bees…..Scientists in Germany have a theory that the bee problem is being caused by mobile phones! They think that the radiation from handsets is disrupting the bee’s navigation systems. I am NOT making this up! Here’s a LINK to a story in the Independent, a UK based online news source.

It seems that Colony Collapse Disorder isn’t just a problem in the US anymore!

Scary stuff…

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran.

disappearing bees, cell phones and bees, colony collapse disorder

Mornin’, friends!

It seems that I was one of the first to report on the disappearing bees story, a few weeks ago. Since then, the story has blazed across the ‘net like wildfire, and many experts are getting worried that there might not be enough bees to pollinate all the food crops in the US. This is a serious matter!

I’m getting news items from all over the US. It seems that garden groups, and beekeeping groups, are urging home gardeners to keep a hive or two of bees. I’ll admit that the idea crosses my mind every once in while, but I really didn’t want more chores to do around here. As is, it’s a full time job taking care of the garden, house, cats and Husband . But now it might make sense for me to do so.

Sure, I have a swarm of honeybees that stay around my garden. They love the rosemary, especially, and were “on the job” with my blooming fruit trees. I’m not sure where they live, though…perhaps in a dead tree on the property. A friend suggested they might live in the walls of my house. Eeek. Of course, I’m really curious about where they are hiding the honey….

All I know is that the swarm has gotten larger over the last five years when they appeared here. I hope they stick around, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they do. Which means being extra careful in the garden. We never spray anything in or near our property, but I also want to make sure they have a good supply of blooming plants for them to forage on. That, and a good water supply.

I’m not suggesting everyone rush out and start a beehive, although, if you can, that would be great! But you can do other things….do not spray pesticides in your gardens, make sure there’s at least a small water source (see my previous article about the low cost birdbath), and plant things that bees love. They really love the rosemary, that would be a good start!

Until tomorrow,

dig it!

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran

disappearing bees, beekeepers, beekeeping, bee plants, water source in garden, inexpensive birdbath, low cost birdbath, rosemary

As ya’ll know, I’m very fond of watching the birdies out my office window. That’s one reason I was distressed when I read that the month of March is the hardest of all for birds. According to an article by George H. Harrison on the eNature.com website published by the National Wildlife Federation, birds have a tough time in March because there just isn’t enough native food for them to eat–not many seeds, berries, insects, etc. So it’s doubly important to keep those birdfeeders filled. As I mentioned before, the longer we keep seed in our feeders, the more different varieties of birds we’re attracting to our gardens. And birdies in the garden is a great thing for Earthly Gardens!

I’m celebrating the arrival of thousands of bees to my garden. They are busy with the nectarine tree that is gorgeous and dripping with blooms. The irises are blooming, and the one lonely tomato plant I put out in the garden yesterday is still alive this morning. That’s a reason to celebrate! I can almost taste that salsa now!

dig it!

bobbi c.
All photos and text copyright ©2005-2007 Bobbi A. Chukran. all rights reserved.

birds in garden, birdfeeders, National Wildlife Federation, nectarine blossoms

Something a little more serious this morning….In more than 24 states across the country, bees are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to Ann Johansson of the New York Times and other journalists across the country, this is not only threatening the livelihood of beekeepers, but is also a threat to many of our important crops, such as the almond industry in CA. Not to mention our entire food supply!

Researchers aren’t sure where the bees are going. Some hives have died off, some have simply vanished.

For sure, widespread pesticide spraying of agricultural crops can kill bees, as can small doses of spraying, such as a homeowner might do in their gardens or yards. That’s just another reason that organic gardening is friendly to the environment.

Our entire food supply relies on pollination by bees and other such insects. There are many alternatives to synthetic pesticides on the market today. Next time you’re at your local garden center, look for the natural or organic section…see what’s there, and follow the directions on the label.

dig it!

bobbi c.

disappearing bees, pollination, insects, natural gardening, organic gardening, food supply