September 20, 2017
Honey Harvest is Here!
March 27, 2017
It’s Swarm Season!
It is now officially swarm season for the bees, and Bees N Blooms adopted two swarms last weekend. A few weeks ago, we were approached by a neighbor who has several hives in his back yard, asking if we were interested in any swarms that might come from his hives. We said yes, indeed! And [...]
March 16, 2017
The Flowers are Growing!
Bees N Blooms is ramping up the cut flower operation this spring. We spent January picking out the varieties we want to grow and are now planting seeds, potting plugs into pots, hardening off the plants for outdoor living, preparing the soil for planting, and keeping everything growing and healthy until transplant time. Our first [...]
March 2, 2017
Got Slugs? Get Ducks!
Bees N Blooms now has ducks! Our farm, being organic, needed a safe and natural way to control pests such as caterpillars, beetles, and most of all, slugs. Slugs are abundant on the farm, especially after all the rain we have received, and make it difficult to plant. They hide during the day and in [...]
February 9, 2017
Greenhouse Construction
Bees N Blooms has completed construction of our first greenhouse. We chose a 20'x30' low-profile quonset design from Oregon Valley Greenhouses (OVG) and assembled it in between the rain showers with about 4-5 days of work, with the expert guidance of David Brewer and assistance of Brian Hill. We had some great help from Kip at [...]
February 6, 2017
Bees N Blooms is Hiring
Bees N Blooms is growing! We've just posted a position for an Agricultural Operations Assistant, someone to help with the flowers, trees, lavender and bees. We are looking for someone with a passion for organic and sustainable farming who is eager to learn and experiment with new sustainable farming techniques. The position is full time, [...]
January 24, 2017
The Critters of Bees N Blooms
Bees N Blooms is home to many different critters. Three cats provide excellent rodent control (and entertainment), and nine chickens provide delicious eggs and fertile garden amendments. The honey bees give us honey, beeswax, and the occasional sting! Silver-Ki, our new little feral kitten we found in early October, is finally being accepted by the [...]
December 14, 2016
900 Lavender Plants in the Ground!
This past week, Bees N Blooms planted 900 plants in the labyrinth. The good weather held for most of the two days we were doing the work, but rain was close behind. Here is our first official lavender plant going into the ground: We cut through the weed barrier on top of the circular mounds […]
December 10, 2016
Red Flowering Gum Trees
Bees N Blooms has been working hard this month to ramp up propagation of Red Flowering Gum trees. The Red Flowering Gum (Corymbia ficifolia) is native to Australia and grows well in a Mediterranean climate. It has many qualities to recommend it. This tree is drought tolerant, with gorgeous red or orange clusters of blooms […]
December 1, 2016
Arrival of Lavender!
Bees N Blooms has officially received lavender plants! They arrived from Victor’s Lavender Farm the morning of 11/30/16. We received enough plants to plant the full labyrinth, and plan to do so within the week. This late fall planting should produce a beautiful color palette next summer. Each circle will be planted with a different variety, including Hidcote Giant, […]