Bees & Beekeeping

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28

12:59 AM Aug 18, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

I've been told that more than 90% of people who keep bees as a hobbyist are also gardeners. I would like to start determining how many YGS members are also beekeepers. I am especially keen to learn whose keeping bees in urban or suburban areas. Anybody like to chime in, or does anyone have stats on it?

34 replies

639

Reply here

Latest post Sep 30, 2012 by sensiblegardening

30

08:57 PM Aug 22, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

That's a pretty good estimate. About that percent of Bee Culture readers are gardeners...flowers, veggies and bee plants.

Kim Flottum

215

01:40 AM Aug 23, 2012

Boston, MA

usda zone 6a

I garden in a 7-acre community garden in Boston. Just this year we added a small plot dedicated to bees - I believe that there are 4 or 5 hives that are tended by certified bee keepers.

30

12:20 AM Sep 02, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@Kristen: you bring up an interesting concept...certified beekeepers. What does someone do to become a certified beekeeper?

Kim Flottum

28

08:05 PM Sep 04, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

@KimFlottum: Good question Kim. I was not aware of a certification. Maybe she means "organic" or maybe someone working with a Master Gardener's program?

30

01:13 PM Sep 06, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@Entomolo-garden: There are several programs around that use that term...certified. Sometimes it means a class was taken, some take it a step further and have a session with an experienced beekeeper to make sure they have the basics down...not an exam, but a sort of mentoring. And some require an exam. With urban beekeepers increasing, some localities are heading in that direction...

Kim Flottum

1

04:51 PM Sep 04, 2012

Spokane, WA

usda zone 5b

I just joined YGS because of the bee forum. I've been keeping an organic backyard garden in different locations for over 20 years. Currently I'm in the city, urban backyard, for the last 12 years, and just started beekeeping in my backyard 3 years ago, with two colonies/hives. I started beekeeping because I noticed some veggies that flowered but did not fruit and wondered if my pollinators were on the decline.

28

08:04 PM Sep 04, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

@MooseMoon: Hey Moose - glad to have you in the hive here at YGS. You inquiry has a couple of implications. 1) What type of veggies are you planting? I would recommend companion planting for certain types of flowers that help attract pollinators. Many times they will bloom before the plants fruit and they help the beneficial insects get a head start. 2) Take a look around your neighborhood and let me know if there have been any construction or development projects that might have effected open fields or forests.

30

01:09 PM Sep 06, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@MooseMoon: It sounds like you're doing it right...keep it up. But, the urban backyard think is always interesting...any neighbor issues? What does your city say about bees...if anything?

Kim Flottum

614

05:05 PM Sep 07, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@MooseMoon: Welcome. Beekeeping and gardening do seem complementary for many of us. My elderly neighorhood is mostly trees so we all rely on native pollinators. However, in a few weeks, when Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and New England Aster are flowering, honeybees will show up, provided this year's heat and drought has not harmed them.

28

05:21 AM Oct 02, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

@MooseMoon: Hi Moose - just wanted to make a mention that I experienced that in a massive way in my own garden. Tomatoes - tons of green growth. lots of flowers, no tomatoes. I did however see quite a few sphinx moths (no hornworms thought). Same with my long beans. My bell peppers did ok. I need to bump up my number of pollinator attractor plants.

614

05:01 PM Sep 07, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

I used to be both. Now I'm a city gardener in a neigborhood of old trees and few sources of nectar.

8

11:39 PM Sep 07, 2012

Rogue River, OR

usda zone 7b

Third year beekeeper here. I live out in the forest and have been doing organic gardening for much longer.

614

01:30 AM Sep 08, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@puckamok: The sound of "Rogue River" sets my imagination in motion.

8

10:10 PM Sep 10, 2012

Rogue River, OR

usda zone 7b

@Groundskeeper: Mine too. It's a wild and scenic river and a great salmon habitat. Too bad it got the name because the US called the native people here the "Rogue Indians" because they put up a fight.

614

03:30 AM Sep 11, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@puckamok: I've wanted to see it for years, not just because of the name, but where it is. Has to be incredibly beautiful. Like the Hetch Hetchy was before the dam (I hear there's a push to take out the dam).

28

03:26 AM Sep 12, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

@puckamok: Hi Puck. Welcome aboard. You say you live in a forest as a beekeper. Sounds compelling. Where abouts? I know that German bees prefer that sort of setting - are you tending German or Italian?

8

03:43 PM Sep 12, 2012

Rogue River, OR

usda zone 7b

@Entomolo-garden: I live outside Rogue River , Oregon. I haven't had my bees live through winter yet so I am really hoping to prepare my bees enough this year. I think they are Russians. I live near Old Sol Apiaries so I buy my nucs from them. This is my third year.

1

06:43 PM Sep 08, 2012

New York, NY

usda zone 6b

Hi,

I'm a new member and yes, I'm a beekeeper too. :)

30

07:26 PM Sep 11, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@ehoneybees: in the city beekeeping can be similar, or very different than keeping bees in the country...are your bees in an urban setting, with lots of people close by, or are you more isolated?

Kim Flottum

28

03:22 AM Sep 12, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

@ehoneybees: Nice to have you along EHB. I think it's great that you found this new Forum. Being a gardener and a beekeeper is a nice combination, perfect for this site. What part of the country are you in?

13

12:51 AM Sep 30, 2012

sensiblegardening

Kelowna, Canada

I'm a new member and also have an apiary. My husband tends the bees and I grow the garden full of bee friendly plants. Makes for a good combination!

614

02:57 AM Sep 30, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@sensiblegardening: Welcome. An apiary? Meaning more than one hive? Do you have few favorite bee-friendly plants?

30

06:47 PM Oct 01, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@Groundskeeper: An apiary is anyplace bees are kept...one hive or 100. Backyard or farm field or next to an almond orchard....when you set bees down, you have an apiary.

30

06:48 PM Oct 01, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@sensiblegardening: What's your friendliest plant in your garden? Do you have several...blooming at different times?

614

07:15 PM Oct 01, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@KimFlottum: Any tall sedum. Mine are mainly 'Autumn Joy.' Pest-free, reliable, good nectar plants, changing flower colors (this year pale pink thanks to drought), sturdy through the first snows.

13

10:14 PM Oct 01, 2012

sensiblegardening

Kelowna, Canada

@Groundskeeper: We have about 15 hives right now going into winter. Probably our best bee plants are Nepeta 'Dropmore Blue', Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Anchusa, Lavandula and Agastache.

13

10:17 PM Oct 01, 2012

sensiblegardening

Kelowna, Canada

@KimFlottum: The absolute best bee plant we grow is Nepeta. Blooms here from early summer to frost. We grow many others so there is always something blooming for the bees.

30

10:55 PM Oct 01, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@sensiblegardening: Fall blooming sedums are always popular with the bees...they have lots of nectar, and as you say are hardy. All of the mints are attractive to bees...of course they can overrun a spot. Sunflowers are always a popular item...of course that's why they count the bees on them...One suggestion when planting for bees is to think in three dimensions...the foot print of the planting, the space above that planting, and the length of time things are blooming...Trees, shrubs and ground covers all blooming at the same time triple the output of your pollinator friendly space...The logistics of planning something like that is always a challenge I enjoy.

614

11:17 PM Oct 01, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@KimFlottum: That's a whole new level for me. I'm heading toward what used to be called dump-head gardening, where every plant is useful or edible and the whole garden looks random or wild. Now I have to think about which bee plants where.

30

11:29 PM Oct 01, 2012

Medina, OH

usda zone 5b

@Groundskeeper: Dump-head. I like that concept...bee gardens can be the same...you can bale alfalfa, eat lima beans and sunflower seeds, harvest apples and buckeyes, save lavender, dry nepeta and most herbs, and the list goes on and on...I just tend to think of bees when I'm thinking gardens, so my useful tends toward bees, and edible...I guess for both of us....

614

11:42 PM Oct 01, 2012

YourGardenShow.com

@KimFlottum: Whoops, my typo. It should be "dump-heap" not "dump-head," but the idea remains.

28

05:23 AM Oct 02, 2012

Entomolo-garden

Oakland, CA

usda zone 8b

@KimFlottum: The one companion plant that i say to everyone in NA is lavender. Offers nectar and blooms in several separate peaks, eps. late in the Autumn when other pollinator-friendlies have long gone to sleep. Plus, it so versatile and easy to keep - and lavender honey is special.