March 2025 newsletter
The March 2025 issue of Seeders and Weeders is all about bees and spring plans.
Guest speaker: honeybees
Local beekeeper Harold Luddith once kept up to 25 colonies in the Bulkley Valley. He shared some bee facts:
- A queen lives about three years and can lay 1,200 to 1,500 eggs a day
- A worker bee lives about 42 days
- Bumble bees, mason bees, hover flies, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats are pollinators too
- Bees need salt. A plate of salt water with pebbles in it lets them drink without drowning.
- Pesticides and weed killers kill or weaken millions of bees
His message: bees are essential to us, but we are not essential to them.
Plant sale on May 10
The sale is May 10, 2025, on the IPE grounds. Glenn passed around a volunteer sign-up sheet. The club has two pallets of Black Diamond soil and four Chamber tents. Members can start planting for the sale any time.
Other news
- Glenn is ordering 210 petunias for the city planters, in red and white if available.
- Rea is looking for six to eight members to help plant at Pleasant Valley Manor after the May long weekend.
- Armstrong Elementary School thanked members who bought seeds in its fundraiser, which raised $650.06.
- Members are welcome at executive meetings.
Also in this issue
- Flowers for a bee-friendly garden, like bee balm, catmint, lavender, and New England aster
- Notes on companion planting from a free West Coast Seeds booklet
- Garden events in Salmon Arm and at Shepherd’s
