We have several honey bee hives in our yard and I am thrilled to say, they are happy bees. Over the past several weeks, we have opened the hives up, inspected them and made sure the colonies were healthy. We do this in the early morning when it is relatively cool here in North Carolina. This is a good time to work with bees because the hives are less active. We are respectful of the bees hard work and careful not to stress the hive. We are gentle and calm around our bees and they respond in kind. Honey bees are so important to humans as they help pollinate our gardens, orchards, and our food crops. We are dependent on the survival of all pollinators for the food we need to survive. Bees are responsible for pollinating approximately one-third of the food we consume in this country. We recognize that not everyone is able to raise bees, however, helping the bee population and other pollinators to thrive, is not difficult. One way to support bees (and other pollinators) is to plant a variety of flowers in your yard that aid pollinators and help with honey production. Bees are looking for two types of plants; flowers that provide nectar and ones that provide pollen. Nectar provides carbohydrates and is an energy boost for bees. Pollen is their primary source of protein. Perennial flowers are a great option to assist honey bees. Perennials only need to be planted once and will grow back year after year. These plants are a great option to attract honey bees because after the initial planting and investment; these plants are typically easy to grow, and require very little attention to flourish. Here is a bee friendly list of beautiful perennial plants. Next time you are looking for flowers to plant, you may consider adding some of these to your yard: Cosmos Black-Eyed Susans Coneflowers Bee balm Mint Joe-Pye weed Liatris Milkweed Sunflower Zinnia Peony Phlox Salvia Sedum Coriander
Strawberry Picking Tradition…
The sweet aroma of fresh strawberries is what draws us to the fields every spring. We look forward to our strawberry picking tradition every spring. Over the years, this has become a Mother’s Day weekend event. We are fortunate to live in an area that has several pick-your-own berry farms located within a short driving distance. If you have never been to a strawberry patch to pick your own berries, you don’t know what you are missing. Fresh picked strawberries tend to be more fragrant and flavorful than most store-bought varieties. We have made wonderful cocktails, salads, ice cream, desserts and jam with our berries. We also love packing berries in small wooden baskets and sharing them with friends. Making strawberry shortcake is a fresh and easy crowd pleaser. We love slicing our fresh berries and seasoning them with a little bit of good balsalmic vinegar. Let the berries sit in a bowl for 15-30 minutes until ready to serve. Then, spoon the berries (and the juice they have created) over angel food cake. Top with a small dollop of homemade whipped cream. If you love simple fresh desserts, this one is a fun way to get outside with your family and create an easy dessert. We highly encourage you to find a local farm and bring some hand-picked berries home to your family! Here is a list of local farms in the Charlotte area that offer pick-your-own strawberries: Linebergers (two locations Iron Station and Dallas) Carrigan Farms in Mooresville Patterson Farm in Mt. Ulla Wise Acres in Indian Trail Hall Family Farm in Lancaster, SC We hope this post inspires you to start your own strawberry picking tradition. Later in the summer we will be picking blueberries and cherries. Check back and see where we go and what we create with these local fruits.