The Bee Gardener

It began with an idea forged by Hagen-Dazs and UC Davis. Recognizing a need for the public to better understand the link between bees and our food supply, the garden was created in Spring 2009 thanks to a donation from Hagen-Dazs.

It's simple: the Haven wouldn't be here today without volunteers. Their hard work of pruning, weeding, mulching, and assorted other tasks has made the Haven what it is today. Volunteers are also essential to our outreach events.

As mentioned in my post of May 1, my position at the Haven is being eliminated. Recognizing that the need for bee gardening information will remain, this post is a summary of resource materials, web sites, and nurseries that you may find helpful in the future.

A previous blog covered the steps to take before starting a bee garden. Now it's time to talk about the plants and how to take care of them. Plant selection depends on many factors, including personal preference, climate, soil type, irrigation frequency, and plant availability.

I've spoken with countless gardeners over the years who wish to start their own bee haven. That's great -- the bees need all the help we can give them. But the most misunderstood part of the process is how much preparation needs to take place before a single plant goes in the ground.