This past Saturday Greenfield celebrated the 10th Annual Bee Fest at the 250 year old Second Congregational Church. The seventh minister of the church in the mid-19800s was Lorenzo Langstroth who, in his spare time, invented the modern moveable frame bee hive. The Bee Fest provides the occasion to remember and celebrate Langstroth and the way he changed bee keeping.
There were lots of outdoor activities for the children who were learning about bees, most especially not to be afraid of them, and not to bother them. They have important work to do. The indoor lecture portion of the even began with Bee Poems read by four young poets. They was enthusiastic applause. The man in back of the young poet on her pedestal is Dan Conlon, beekeeper extraordinaire.
Then my big moment came when our State Representative Steve Kulik presented me with a Bee Spaces Award for my residential pollinator garden.
Wisty Rorabacher accepted the award on behalf of the Energy Park Volunteer gardeners, and Peg Bridges accepted her garden award. We got to compare notes. We know a lot of pollinator flowers!
Henry wasted no time putting the Bee Spaces plaque, created by potter Molly Cantor, where it can be seen by all passers-by.
This award is named for the precise 1/4 inch space that Langstroth discovered allows the bees to store honey and work without sticking all the honey comb together. Before he discover ‘bee space’ people had to destroy their bee skeps to get the honey out – and the bees had to do all that work all over again. And of course, the other ‘bee spaces’ are the gardens that welcome and feed all bees. In Massachusetts there are over 300 types of bees.
Summer is slowly arriving says our Lilac tree which has just begun to bloom and perfumes the air throughout the Bee Spaces in our garden.
I just found out that your posting has been dumped into junk file. I’ve been missing your postings. Congrats for your award!
Yenna – I’m glad you pulled me out of the junk pile. We had a great time at the Bee Fest.
Congrats on your award. You do so much to promote healthy gardening I am glad you were recognized.
Yenna – Thanks for pulling me out of the junk pile! It was very exciting when I got word that my garden was a winner.
Well-deserved!! The bees thank you for Every garden you have touched, including those helped by your pen. A lovely place for that beautiful plaque.
Jill – Thank you for the very kind words. We all have to do our bit – because it all adds up. Here in rural western Massachusetts all the bee gardens provide support for our small farms.
Pat, I loved this post. I had no idea Langstroth was from your part of the world. I love blogs because I almost always learn something. Your plaque is beautiful! I’m keeping honeybees for the first time this year. It is a quite a learning curve. I love that many gardeners are waking up to the fact that our native bees and other pollinators, along with honeybees, need bee space. ~~Dee
Dee – I’m so glad you saw the Bee Fest post. WE kept bees until I developed a bad allergy. When you are planting for your bees, don’t forget those medicinal sunflowers.
Dee – I wish you lots of luck with your beekeeping. It is fascinating work.