Got a green thumb? How about a bee thumb?
Local organic farmers Barbara and Lorne Ebell of Nanoose Edibles in Nanoose Bay are looking to spread some knowledge about supporting pollinators like bees with your spring plantings.
But their new Sustainable Roundtable events are no lecture - they’re an exchange of information and experience in an effort to figure out best practices for the area, said Barbara.
By learning from Nanoose Edibles and other local growers, “You will gradually become your own expert in what you need to know,” she said.
Barbara has been giving lectures and participating in events on sustainable agriculture since long before the idea became fashionable, but after putting on more conversational experience-sharing events over the past few years, she found the exchanges much more productive.
The success of her first few round tables this fall encouraged her to continue with the new event.
With spring arriving and gardeners considering what to grow this year, the Sustainable Round Table on March 25 will focus on pollinators.
Providing pollen for bees during the spring is crucial, said Barbara.
“If you don’t feed your bees at this time of the year, they will never turn into a decent sized hive,” she said.
“They need pollen (and) at this time of the year, March, that’s protein … it’s gathered at this time of the year and fed into the hives, then the hives will be strong and robust.”
Plantings later in the year can still provide pollen for bees, but it won’t serve to increase the size of the hive, she said.
For a selection of plant types to support bees this spring, check out the Nanoose Edibles website which includes a list in their resources section. You can also refer to seed catalogues, said Barbara.
But the phacelia plant is always a good choice, she said.
Fast growing and blue in colour, “It seems to grow everywhere and it takes off early in the spring and has lots of flowers and sets its own seeds, so you never have to buy it again,” said Barbara.
The Sustainable Round Table is scheduled from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the farm at 1960 Stewart Rd.
If you’re looking for veggies to consider planting in the next couple weeks, Barbara suggested fava beans, which are a strong source of protein, peas, spinach and green onions, and she also encourages gardeners to check out local seed catalogues.