• Backyard Chickens, Beekeeping, Classes, Education, Eliza, Flowers, Fruits, Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Local Eggs, Local Honey, Nature, Ornamental Edibles, Permaculture, Soil & Fertility, Things to Do, Vegetables

How to Sign Up for February’s Classes

This month’s giveaway contest is over, congratulations to the winner, Christina Weit! Christina won four February classes. Today is gorgeous, has spring fever hit you? Eliza’s urban homesteading classes at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery start next week! Come learn about edible landscaping, backyard chickens, beekeeping basics, composting, and more… now is the time to get prepared for your…

• Bee Nectar/Pollen Sources, Beekeeping, Beneficial Insects, Classes, Community Events, Education, Eliza, Garden DIY, Insects, Local Honey, Nature Study, Permaculture, Things to Do

How to Find Eliza’s Beekeeping Article Online

My beekeeping article from the summer 2013 issue of edible Upcountry magazine is now available online. Many thanks to Carolina Honey Bee Company for hosting such fantastic classes. Our three hives are still doing great! Click here or on the image below to see the article: You can pick up hardcopies of edible Upcountry at locations all over the Upstate,…

• Beekeeping, Beneficial Insects, Cilantro Substitutes, Classes, Education, Eliza, Local Honey, Papalo

How to Read Eliza’s Edible Upcountry Article & More

April heralded my first (epic) case of writer’s block. I’ve never run so close on a deadline before, but fortunately my brain clicked into place at the last minute and you can read the result in this season’s summer “honey” issue of Edible Upcountry magazine. Let me also emphatically recommend The Carolina Honeybee Company in Travelers Rest, SC for excellent…

• Amphibians, Apples, Beekeeping, Beneficial Insects, Blueberries, Catalogs/Nurseries/Sources, Cherries, Citrus, Community Events, Compost & Amendments, Crucifer/Cole/Brassica Family, Edible Greens, Education, Farms, Figs, Fruits, Garden Design, Garden DIY, Gooseberries, Grapes, Intensive Space Gardening, Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Local Eggs, Muscadines, Orchard Trees, Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), Peaches, Pears, Pears - Asian, Pineapple Guava, Pomegranates, Product Reviews, Quince, Raspberries, Rose Hips, Seed Saving/Starting, Solanaceous/Nightshade Family, Strawberries, Things to Do, Unusual Fruits, Vegetables

How to Set Garden Goals & Go to the Organic Growers School

Fer is hosting a garden goals blog carnival at My Little Garden in Japan and oh my gosh, do I ever have a lot to do this year! I’ve included info about the Organic Growers School in March since it always heralds my spring planning. For the last three seasons I’ve jumped from garden to garden, so I haven’t been…

• Beekeeping, Beneficial Animals, Beneficial Insects, Insects, Kitchen Gardens/Potagers, Things to Do

How to Get Started Keeping Bees (Simple and “Instant” Beekeeping)

*EDIT 1/15/2013* – This post was written when bees were far less expensive than they are now. Unless you are planning to catch a free swarm or have some other cheap bee source, it would be a good idea to learn all you can prior to obtaining bees. Yeah, that’s right. I did a Valentine’s post on undies followed by…

• Beekeeping, Beneficial Insects, Insects, Livestock, Local Honey

How To Remove Burr Comb From a Hive Frame

Bees naturally create “bee space” in a hive, which is about 3/8ths of an inch between each frame. Occasionally, they build extra cells inside “bee space” which can cause inconveniences for the beekeeper. This excess comb is scraped off with a hive tool during regular inspections of the hive.