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Honey Bee Haven hosts fundraiser and more

Zoom sessions and videos part of garden outreach

Bee on lavender blossom
Bees love lavender. Learn more about bees and help the Honey Bee Haven at UC Davis this month.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)






Bees can use a helping hand. So could the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven.

Located on the UC Davis campus, this half-acre pollinator garden is devoted to bee pollinator conservation and education. Many different kinds of bees (not just honey bees) frequent this habitat, which is open free to the public daily.

Although the Honey Bee Haven kept buzzing during the pandemic, its major source of funding – public events – evaporated during 2020. So, the Honey Bee Haven launched a month-long Crowdfunding drive on Monday. (Despite the founding name, the site did not receive funding from Häagen-Dazs after its first few years.)

“We normally earn most of our operating funds through classes and tours, but this revenue was lost in 2020 because of COVID closures,” explained Christine Casey, who oversees the garden. “Our goal for the month is to raise $5,000 for purchase of plants, tools, and irrigation supplies. Any amount is welcome and all donors will be recognized.”

To donate, go to:
https://crowdfund.ucdavis.edu/project/24323

During this month-long fund drive, the Honey Bee Haven also will host two Zoom chats as well as debut two new videos.

At 12:15 p.m. Feb. 9 and Feb. 23, join Casey for half-hour question and answer sessions. She’ll start each Tuesday lunchtime session with a quick tour of the garden, highlighting what’s blooming and who’s buzzing in the Honey Bee Haven. Then she’ll answer any questions about bees and bee-friendly plants. All viewers are welcome to these free sessions. No advance registration is necessary.

To join the Feb. 9 session on Zoom:

Meeting ID: 966 3997 6701

Passcode: 202584.

To join the Feb. 23 session on Zoom:

Meeting ID: 995 0184 7681

Passcode: 672621.

In addition, the Honey Bee Haven will release two new videos – “Making a Solitary Bee House” and “Bee Diversity”-- on its YouTube channel at 10 a.m. Feb. 15. Already on the channel are short videos on creating a bee garden, identification of common bees and bees at work in the edible garden.

View them at: https://bit.ly/3tl8XqA

Catch the buzz yourself. Visit the Honey Bee Haven and see the bees in action as well as discover more than 200 varieties of bee-friendly plants, which will soon start spring bloom.

With free parking as well as free admission, the garden is open dawn to dusk every day but Tuesdays, when it opens at noon. The Honey Bee Haven is located at 1 Bee Biology Road. Go west of main campus on Hutchison Drive, turn left on Hopkins Drive and left on Bee Biology Road.

For more information: http://beegarden.ucdavis.edu

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Dig In: Garden Checklist

For week of March 24:

In between cloud bursts, try to catch up with early spring chores. 

* Attack weeds now! Get them before they flower and go to seed. Take a hoe and whack them as soon as they sprout. Aim for 1 inch below the soil line.

* Start preparing vegetable beds. Spade in compost and other amendments.

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs after bloom.

* Feed camellias at the end of their bloom cycle. Pick up browned and fallen flowers to help corral blossom blight.

* Feed citrus trees, which are now in bloom and setting fruit. To prevent sunburn and borer problems on young trees, paint the exposed portion of the trunk with diluted white latex (water-based) interior paint. Dilute the paint with an equal amount of cold water before application.

* Feed roses with a balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in that product).

* Prune and fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees after they bloom. Try using well-composted manure, spread 1-inch thick under the tree. This serves as both fertilizer and mulch, retaining moisture while cutting down on weeds.

* Cut back and fertilize perennial herbs to encourage new growth.

* Seed and renovate the lawn (if you still have one). Feed cool-season grasses such as bent, blue, rye and fescue with a slow-release fertilizer. Check the irrigation system and perform maintenance. Make sure sprinkler heads are turned toward the lawn, not the sidewalk.

* In the vegetable garden, transplant lettuce and cole family plants, such as cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale.

* Seed chard and beets directly into the ground.

* Plant summer bulbs, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias and callas. Also plant dahlia tubers.

* Shop for perennials. Many varieties are available in local nurseries and at plant events. They can be transplanted now while the weather remains relatively cool.

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