I had heard rumblings about the bees for a while, but I have to admit it was the ice cream that led me to the sweet, sweet truth…I saw an ad for the Haagen Dazs Loves Honey Bees campaign and went to their website. First, let me say, it is adorable. It’s a great way to get people interested and involved in what’s going on and better yet, you can help by simply buying ice cream at the very least. After looking into the subject more, I was hooked. The most important read, I believe is the article that the New York Times wrote which explains more detail about the movements across the country of beekeepers with their colonies and the crops they support, and more technical aspects about what happened with the bee mites and the treatments to prevent the mites weakening the colonies…and so forth.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/business/27bees.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
My next logical step was to start looking into what I could do to help in my own small way. Fortunately I have a pretty hefty green thumb, although only an end townhouse to work with. It’s something though – I already have loads of campanula and a lilac bush, lamb’s ears, dusty miller and cranesbill geranium which all have blooms that attract bees. I wonder if my hydrangea is a good deal too? I have a whole row of them. Well, I’ll be adding some more flowers in the back – maybe I’ll do a herb based theme back there with thyme, sage, lavender and rosemary…