As we enter the holiday season I want to share some small things that I am thankful for, I believe that the welfare of all of us is deeply linked to the health of our natural world and to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Among the most important of these are the pollinators, including the honey bee, One of the hardest working little creatures in the world, the honey bee never stops for most of its short 122 - 152 day life. Not only do they pollinate our crops but they also produce honey, the elixir of humanity.
One example of the symbiotic relationship between crops and their pollinators is the almond growing industry. Between February and Marhc of each year, almond trees bloom and bees forage among the blossoms for nectar. When they do, they pollinate from tree to tree and each blossom they pollinate produces an almond. After the almond season, the beekeepers move their bees across the U.S. pollinating more than 90 other crops and making honey as they go. Thirty three percent of our global food production relies on pollinators.
However, the increasing use of pesticides, such as glyphosate products, and the encroaching of the land that pollinators need have critically affected both the number of bees and the health of the bees.
I am not a commercial beekeeper, but I want to do my small part to give bees a safe and healthy place to land on their pollinating way. To do that I have taken a portion of my yard and planted it in succulents and lavender and other colorful plants to attract the bees I don't use any fertilizer or pesticide. This not only supports the bees but conserves on my water use and yard maintenance.They seem to like it and I enjoy watching them buzz from plant to plant.
We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive and where all things work together positively in the cycle and balance of life. Enjoy planting a bee happy succulent garden with your children and feel good about helping Mother Earth as she helps us!
One example of the symbiotic relationship between crops and their pollinators is the almond growing industry. Between February and Marhc of each year, almond trees bloom and bees forage among the blossoms for nectar. When they do, they pollinate from tree to tree and each blossom they pollinate produces an almond. After the almond season, the beekeepers move their bees across the U.S. pollinating more than 90 other crops and making honey as they go. Thirty three percent of our global food production relies on pollinators.
However, the increasing use of pesticides, such as glyphosate products, and the encroaching of the land that pollinators need have critically affected both the number of bees and the health of the bees.
I am not a commercial beekeeper, but I want to do my small part to give bees a safe and healthy place to land on their pollinating way. To do that I have taken a portion of my yard and planted it in succulents and lavender and other colorful plants to attract the bees I don't use any fertilizer or pesticide. This not only supports the bees but conserves on my water use and yard maintenance.They seem to like it and I enjoy watching them buzz from plant to plant.
We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive and where all things work together positively in the cycle and balance of life. Enjoy planting a bee happy succulent garden with your children and feel good about helping Mother Earth as she helps us!
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