Victory Gardens for Bees in Saskatoon

Yesterday I spent a lovely day at the Saskatoon Farmers Market promoting my book and helping kids make messages for the bees.

It was so blustery that I had to tape everything down.
 

 There are a lot of creative kids in Saskatoon.

Natale informed me that the red dots on her picture are bee stings.

I was lucky to be positioned near a fantastic local wildflower business called Blazing Star Wildflowers. This is like a candy shop to me and I was twitching to bring some of Lisa's plants home with me on the airplane. These are all great plants for bees. Saskatoon is so lucky to have this resource! Lisa really knows her wildflowers and there's lots of great information on her web site. They also sell heritage vegetable seeds.

Lisa's daughter was my helper bee of the day. She chased down all the things that would fly off my table with the big gusts of wind.

There was also a nursery selling herbs called Healthy Harvest Produce based in Clavet, Saskatchewan. Although not certified organic, they use organic practices (ie no pesticides), so that is another good place to buy your bee food plants from. 

I will be giving a lecture on Wednesday night, June 8 at 7 pm at the downtown Saskatoon Public Library.  I will be showing images of some of the different native bees, tips on what to grow to feed bees and inspiring bee forage projects. I'll also talk about my work  as a "bee mad" artist. You will be able to purchase books and I'd be happy to sign them.

Victory Gardens for Bees in Winnipeg!

I'm so excited to be here in Winnipeg to do a book talk and signing Thursday night at 7 pm at McNally Robinson and a lecture about female artists who are inspired by bees at MAWA at noon on Friday, June 3. My friend took me to Assiniboine Park on Monday and patiently waited on a shady bench while I stalked the bees of Winnipeg.

The catnip in the English garden was a winner, attracting at least five species of bees.

I also checked out the sculpture park, where someone had done a sweet intervention and added flowers to the bronze works.

 But the bees were more interesting.

A.Y. Jackson agrees: "Plant more catnip for bees." I'm happy to recommend SAGE Garden Greenhouses for all your bee gardening needs. Neonic free! Yay!!!!!!!!

There are a lot of statues of clothed men and naked women in this garden. I call this "Tulips, four cheeks."

It's raining today, so I am holed up in my cozy aerie doing press interviews, but hopefully the weather will be perfect for more bee watching tomorrow before the launch.

Women Who Run with Bees in the Okanagan

I'm so pleased to be here in the Okanagan, my first stop on a western Canadian tour for Victory Gardens for Bees. I am seeking solace in a quiet, woodland retreat with little surprises like this lovely herb garden tended by Nancy Holmes.

Today I put the finishing touches on my lecture as I listened to a babbling creek, the buzzing of bees and wasps and the chattering from a picnic of school children.

This is a good place to rest after a very busy period, gain some clarity and recharge my batteries. 
This weekend we also have a family wedding, so I am really happy we'll be reuniting for a very special occasion in a beautiful place. 

Next week I'll be heading to Winnipeg for a book launch at McNally Robinson in Grant Park in the Atrium on the evening of June 2 at 7 pm and a noon hour lecture at MAWA on Friday, June 3. Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones!