B&B for the Bees!

Mason bees are the lesser-known relative of honey bees, and are fascinating!  A mason bee can visit as many as 1000 blooms each day, which is 20 times more than a honeybee.  And major bonus for the wary...they don't sting!

If mason bees pollinate 20 times more than honey bees, sign me up!  I've recently received a Bee & Bee (cute, right?) to help attract mason bees to my garden and am excited to invite them in.  

Simple tips for a bee-friendly garden

Bees bees bees, I love them!  When I was a little girl, on my way home from school I'd stop every day in front of our giant almond tree.  The branches were filled with hundreds of honey bees hard at work - buzzing from blossom to blossom.  The neighbor kids were all afraid to get close, but I loved the excitement!  Each little bee had its job to do, and as long as I moved slowly and quietly, they were perfectly happy to have me by their side.

Why I'm NOT buying plants from Home Depot or Lowes

This weekend I stopped at Home Depot to pick up a few supplies for our latest DIY adventure.  I wandered to the garden center with hopes of picking up a new lemon tree and maybe a few new flowers for the garden. 

I was puzzled by a plastic label popping out of each of the plants.  "This plant is protected from problematic Aphids, White flies, Beetles, Mealy Bugs and other unwanted pests by Neonicotinoids."

That name sounded familiar...and why did their choice of wording sound like such a hard-sell?  Like the waiter who comes asking 8 times if I'm really sure I don't want dessert.

Make Organic Fertilizer at Home Using Whey

When making cheese at home, the curds go to the cheese itself and the whey is leftover.  But as it is so full of nutrients that it is a shame to lose it down the drain.

This organic homemade fertilizer is a great use for the whey, which helps nourish the garden as a natural, DIY organic plant food.

Simple, natural tip to keep citrus trees free of Ants and Aphids

Ants and aphids are symbyotic - when you have a problem with one you almost always have a problem with the other!

That is because ants like to "farm" the little aphids for their juicy nectar.  That juicy nectar comes from the aphids attacking the leaves and branches of trees, especially citrus trees.  Which of course, is not good for the tree or its fruit.