Transform your garden into a thriving honeybee sanctuary with this guide tailored specifically for mid-Atlantic gardeners!

Honeybee populations are facing unprecedented challenges from habitat loss, pesticides, and disease. But here's the good news: your garden—no matter how small—can make a real difference. In this episode, we explore how to create a pollinator paradise that provides essential food sources for honeybees from early spring through late fall.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

Trees for Bees: Early bloomers like willows and red maples, powerhouse nectar producers like black locust and linden trees, and why fruit trees are pollinator goldmines

Shrub Superstars: From witch hazel's winter blooms to Summersweet's late-season flowers, learn which shrubs provide the most bang for your buck

Perennial Favorites: Season-by-season recommendations including native bee balm, purple coneflower, asters, goldenrod, and more

Annual Additions: Quick-growing flowers like cosmos, sunflowers, and borage that fill gaps and provide continuous forage

Avoiding Hidden Dangers: How to identify and avoid plants treated with neonicotinoids—systemic pesticides that poison the very pollinators you're trying to help

The Water Factor: Why bees need water and how to create safe drinking stations they can actually use

Key Takeaways:

• Plant selection strategies for continuous bloom from February through October
• Where to find organic, pesticide-free plants and seeds
• Design principles for creating effective pollinator habitat
• How even small spaces like balconies can support bee populations

Whether you're working with a sprawling yard or just a few containers, this episode gives you the tools to support these essential pollinators while creating a beautiful, thriving garden.

Resources Mentioned:

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• High Mowing Seeds (organic seed source)
• Johnny's Selected Seeds (organic seed source)
• Seed Savers Exchange
• Local cooperative extension services
• Native plant societies

Perfect for: home gardeners, beekeepers, environmental advocates, native plant enthusiasts, and anyone interested in sustainable landscaping practices.

Ever wonder why beekeepers seem so zen? There's actual science behind it.

In this episode, I'm sharing why working with bees is naturally meditative—and how simply sitting in front of a hive can offer profound therapeutic benefits.

We explore:

• Why bees demand complete presence (no wandering mind allowed!)
• How the hum of a hive affects your nervous system
• The unique benefits of meditation with living creatures
• Practical ways to experience bee meditation yourself

Whether you're a beekeeper or simply curious about nature-based mindfulness, this episode will change how you think about these remarkable creatures and might just transform your relationship with meditation.

#BeeMeditation #Beekeeping #Mindfulness #NatureTherapy #Meditation #Honeybees #Beekeeper #MindfulLiving #NatureConnection #Biophilia

Think bees only make honey? Think again! Our latest episode explores the incredible hidden treasures of the hive, from ancient beauty secrets to modern medical miracles.

Discover how beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, and even bee venom have been used for thousands of years and why science is now validating these traditional remedies.

From Egyptian mummies to your medicine cabinet, from Roman battlefields to luxury skincare, these tiny insects produce an entire pharmacy, beauty counter, and hardware store all in one hive.

Listen now to learn which hive product was called "nature's Botox" and why hospitals use another for wound care!

Feeling overwhelmed by modern life? Nature has a prescription for you: forest bathing. In this episode, discover the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, intentionally immersing yourself in the forest atmosphere, and learn why Japan's government has been prescribing it since the 1980s to combat stress and technology fatigue.

You'll explore the surprising science behind forest bathing: how just 20-30 minutes among trees can lower stress hormones, boost your immune system, and improve mental health. Plus, uncover the beautiful connection between forests and honeybees—how the same trees that provide us with healing also shelter and feed wild bee colonies, creating an interconnected web of life we're all part of.

The best part? You don't need wilderness. Whether you have access to vast forests or just a tree-lined park in your neighborhood, you can start forest bathing today. This episode gives you everything you need to begin this simple, transformative practice.

Ready to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with nature? The forest is waiting.

Learn about the century-long history honeybees have with the American military and how beekeeping is helping veterans and first responders today.

Happy Winter Solstice 2025! What do bees do in the winter when temperatures drop and the days are much shorter? Learn about the winter habits of bees, and gain some inspiration from around the world on how we can also embrace winter in a way that feels nourishing rather than just tolerable.

Influenced by her Italian heritage and upbringing, as well as her love of honey, Christina shares her journey and philosophies on beekeeping in this episode. Her bee business is called Iris and Callisto's Apiary, but she's also a general contractor and owner of CLA Construction in Wilmington, Delaware; she's a badass!

Did you know that it's possible to raise not just honeybees, but also native bees? In this episode, you'll hear from Valerie Wampler, a full-time federal employee (I'm sending love to all of you out there!!) and full-time beekeeper. She cares for her hives, teaches classes on queen rearing, making nucs and splits, rendering beeswax and using it for bath & body products, and now...harvesting mason bees!

Hear from Valerie on the importance of giving back, being part of a supportive community, and advocating for all aspects of the environment, including our dear little pollinators. For more information on the classes she teaches through MSBA and beyond, you may email her at valwampler@yahoo.com.