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Issue 12 - March 2024
I’m looking ahead to our bees awakening from their semi-hibernation.
Each year, I bring in a few nucleus families to replace those we lost over the past season. This year, thankfully, we only need to replace a few. I’m so relieved that health has returned for the bees as well as we humans with the end of the COVID pandemic.
My bigger task this month is having food (flowers and blossoms) ready for bee consumption – and that requires me (and a handful of colleagues) digging in the dirt to start seeds and cultivate plants. This annual Spring tradition resonates so deeply within me – reminding me of the countless hours spent in my youth with my Mom in her vegetable garden.
Today, the commitment to my bees draws me to the fields and meadows where I feel that same intimacy with nature.
Being among the bees as they forage and work to fill the honeycombs is so satisfying and energizing!
From a very young age I remember walking in the mud bare-footed and pulling tomatoes off Mom’s vines to enjoy them like they were apples. While I didn’t become that skilled vegetable grower, my friend Joyce regularly invites me to her huge vegetable garden on the Eastern Shore and she generously shares her bounty with me. What I love the most is seeing the results of Spring planting and nurturing in the summer months when I walk the garden with her and leave her place with a fresh-picked haul in the back of my car. I bring the treasures home and make something delicious to honor her and her garden.
One Spring, with great expectations, I planted 30 acres of sunflowers because I adore those big yellow heads and so do the bees, other pollinators, and birds. The day of bloom, I came to the field for the glorious display, only to see bite marks in the flowers and NOTHING left by sunset. It was as if the deer had put out an all-points bulletin to notify all other creatures within a 5-mile radius to munch through. Today, I am a whole lot smarter about what I plant out here in the wild and most of the time, the literature that guides me is correct. I was more ambitious as a younger person. Today I pick the native plants. Perennials that are easy to grow in my meadows and fields… and deer resistant.
I believe that gardening has the potential to transform lives and communities, to bring hope in a challenging world.
In a time marked by disconnection and stress, gardening reminds me of my place in something grand and healing. Through patience, dedication, and nurturing care, gardening reminds me of the invincible life force. It reminds me that meaningful progress takes time and effort, offering a sanctuary for introspection and personal growth.
Beyond providing food, gardens cultivate mental health, spark innovation, and nurture countless life-enriching experiences. This Spring, join us in embracing gardening as a powerful tool for resilience, community building, and positive change. Share this greener outlook on life with those you love.
Let's grow together towards a brighter future!
