Master Gardener Buzzes About Bee-Keeping

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners of Middlesex County invite the public to join them for an “Introduction Bee-Keeping” workshop at the EARTH Center, in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Avenue, South Brunswick, NJ.  The seminar will take place on Saturday July 23, 2011 from 10:00am – 12:00pm and costs $20 to attend.

Pat Evans, Master Gardener and amateur apiarist will be the seminar’s presenter and has recently begun sharing her experience and love for this hobby with others interested in this art and science. It has been stated that with the combined pressures leading up to the recent “Colony Collapse disorder” outbreak, hobbyist beekeepers have made a positive impact on the Honeybee population. Middlesex County’s EARTH Center would like to help spark any resident’s interest in this age old environmental stewardship practice.

Also to be discussed will be garden plants that can serve as pollen sources in late summer when naturally occurring sources are not easy to find in our area.

After the class, those who want to participate, will be able to watch as the instructor “tends to and maintains”, a real inhabited beehive. Those interested in this should come with light colored clothing, long sleeves, long pants and a hat.

Master Gardeners are trained by Rutgers Cooperative Extension experts to provide sound advice on horticulture and environmental stewardship to residents of their home county. Also found at the Middlesex County EARTH Center are various demonstration gardens including a Butterfly House (open after the class), huge vegetable display garden, and a 13 bed hard-scaped herb garden.

Even if you can’t visit the EARTH Center this season, you can still get great gardening tips by calling the Master Gardner Helpline at 732-398-5220. A new Master Gardener class will be starting in September.