A Gardener's Notebook

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The Magic Spells That Herded Medieval Bees via Gastro Obscura [Shared]

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Douglas E. Welch

The Magic Spells That Herded Medieval Bees via Gastro Obscura

IF YOU HAD A PROBLEM in Early Medieval Europe, chances were good that there was a spell for it. “Metrical charms” were sets of magical instructions for addressing dilemmas with spoken words and actions that combined herbal medicine, prayer, and ritual. Many dealt with the challenges of agriculture, with Old English examples having titles like “For Unfruitful Land,” “For Lost Cattle,” and Wiþ Ymbe, meaning “For a Swarm of Bees.”

Read this entire article – The Magic Spells That Herded Medieval Bees via Gastro Obscura

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT: Bee on Apricot Blossom Cases and More Products from Douglas E. Welch Design and Photography [Shopping & Gifts]

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Douglas E. Welch

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15 Bee-Friendly Native Flowers for Your Garden via Treehugger [Shared]

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Douglas E. Welch

15 Bee-Friendly Native Flowers for Your Garden

Looking to support the bees by planting their favorite flowers in your garden this season?

When you imagine bees feeding, mid-summer blooms like sunflowers or bee balm may come to mind. But don’t overlook the early and late bloomers that can feed hungry bees when they first emerge in spring or are furiously trying to fill their larders before winter—when their survival is most at stake.

Whatever your soil type, climate zone, or sun exposure, there are hundreds of bee-friendly annuals and perennials that you can grow in your garden. This list of our favorite 15 flowers is organized loosely by bloom time.

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How to Make a Mason Bee House for Your Garden via Lifehacker [Shared]

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Douglas E. Welch

How to Make a Mason Bee House for Your Garden

Gardeners know that having bees around is a big help in the garden. Some gardeners even turn to urban beekeeping to attract some industrious pollinators to the yard (and reap the reward: honey). If you’re not quite ready for full-on beekeeping, you can still get in on the game by attracting solitary bees with a mason bee house, which gives mason bees a place to reproduce. These species are usually indigenous, as they aren’t cultivated for their honey production and can still be industrious pollinators.

Read How to Make a Mason Bee House for Your Garden

Aeonium Flowers with Bee Slomo via TikTok [Video]

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Douglas E. Welch

@douglaswelch Aeonium Flowers with Bee Slomo #garden #gardening #Aeonium #flowers #succulents #bees #slomo #nature ♬ Autumn – Study Beats

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Incredible Close-Up Portraits of Solitary Bees Highlight Their Character via My Modern Met [Shared]

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Douglas E. Welch

Incredible Close-Up Portraits of Solitary Bees Highlight Their Character

Documentary camera and drone operator Josh Forwood specializes in capturing wildlife, science, and adventure footage. And like most of the world, he’s been abiding by quarantine regulations. So, upon returning home to the UK after a recent shoot, he found himself stuck in the house for a while. Like any good creative, he made the most of his time and ended up photographing fascinating portraits of the bees in his garden.

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Bee garden ideas – 8 expert tips to create a bee sanctuary in your garden via Ideal Home [Shared]

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Douglas E. Welch

Bee garden ideas – 8 expert tips to create a bee sanctuary in your garden

Help save the bees by creating a bee garden with lots of great ideas from bee-friendly plants to building a bee hotel.

Britain’s declining bee population has become an increasing worry – these poor little creatures have lost 97% of their grassland habitats in the past 60 years. With so many gardeners incorporating wildlife garden ideas in their gardens, it’s prime time that we focus on our bees.

Read Bee garden ideas – 8 expert tips to create a bee sanctuary in your garden

In the garden…Bee takes a drink via TikTok [Video]

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Douglas E. Welch

@douglaswelch

In the garden…Bee takes a drink ##bee ##insect ##garden ##water ##nature ##honeybee ##outdoors ##slomo

♬ Curiosity – Danilo Stankovic

Read more about gardening with these books

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

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Carpenter Bee In The Garden via TikTok [Video]

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Douglas E. Welch

@douglaswelch

##Carpenter ##Bee In The Garden ##bees ##insects ##flowers ##garden ##nature ##outdoors

♬ Relaxing Piano Studio Ghibli Complete Collection Vol. 04 – Ure Relaxing

Read more about gardening with these books

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

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Bees on the lemon blossoms via TikTok [Video]

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Douglas E. Welch

@douglaswelch

Bees on the lemon blossoms ##bees ##honeybees ##insects ##lemon ##trees ##nature ##outdoors ##garden ##gardening ##fruit

♬ Curiosity – Danilo Stankovic

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