bees

New to gardening? Want to make yours more sustainable? Whatever the case, here are four tips I advise for creating a sustainable garden you can be proud of.  

Did you know the flowers and vegetation you're growing might be invasive species? Native plants often get overlooked when people design their gardens and lawns, instead opting for popular plants from other regions. This is unfortunate, considering native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions which means they require far less water.

Love honey? There’s a product that’s even better: bee pollen. Bee pollen is a highly nutritious food. We talk a lot about superfoods, but if there’s one that beats all of them, it might be pollen. 

We are now well into Spring, and the kiddos are starting to be released from school for summer vacation. Now is a great time to get your little ones involved with some nature-based crafts that will benefit both their creative spirits and the outside world! The following crafts can be made at home with materials found in the backyard, recycling bin, and even your local park.

Not everyone that loves to garden is blessed with a sunny backyard. For those with yards covered by trees, surrounded by fences, or facing north, sunshine is the only thing your plant is missing. That doesn’t mean you’re confined to sword ferns and swaths of moss.

Gardening in May can be delightful—or delightfully treacherous. One year can bring early spring sunshine while another can bring weeks’ worth of downpours. In some cases, frost can continue until the end of the month. While no one can account for freak weather, there are many must-dos during the month that can ensure your blooms are vibrant and your garden productive all summer long.

Petunias are a member of the Solanaceae family that includes eggplants, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. They became a separate species about thirty million years ago. The Petunia inflata is a small purple flower that attracts bees with its bright color, but some flowers lost their color and became Petunia axillaris, a larger white flower, resulting in the production of modified scent compounds to attract hawkmoths.

Honey is a wholesome, sticky, syrup that is naturally created by bees. It is a popular commodity, often overly-processed, packaged, and sold commercially in almost every grocery store. Many people buy processed honey, but is the pasteurized stuff really all that great? Read on to find out why you should try to avoid purchasing processed honey.

Reason 1: Processed honey often contains added ingredients.  

The first time I saw a seed bomb it was in a Facebook video. Literally, I’ve been obsessed ever since. They are just the cutest things, so easy to make, and the best way to safely refurbish vacant lots. You can make a bunch of them and toss them in areas that really need more plants without having to worry about someone seeing. Since they decompose on their own, nature will take care of the rest. Unfortunately, you never know what is or isn't private property, so seed bombs are the ultimate discreet way of planting something (without spending much money or leaving any evidence).

I recently wrote an article about the healing benefits of honey. But before you head down to the grocery store to buy some of this liquid gold, make sure it’s real honey. That’s right, just because it’s in a jar that’s labeled honey doesn’t mean it’s real honey collected from your local beekeeper (or, even someone’s local beekeeper).