This is my girl's bee condo. They are pollinating like crazy. I just bought another huge bag of sugar the other day. The bag is so big I can hardly carry it. In fact I left the bag of sugar in my car until I can get someone to help me carry it up my… — This is my girl's bee condo. They are pollinating like crazy. I just bought another huge bag of sugar the other day. The bag is so big I can hardly carry it. In fact I left the bag of sugar in my car until I can get someone to help me carry it up my three flights of stairs. ;) In the spring I feed them a sugar syrup with a bee tea of minerals, vitamins, and essential oils until the full nectar flow happens in the summer. The Bee Tea keeps their immune systems strong and deters mites and pests that would try to weaken and kill them. It is nothing for the bees to go through an ice cream pail of sugar syrup in two to three days in the spring. In each ice cream pail there is about nine cups of sugar! So you can imagine just how much sugar the bees go through depending on how much honey stores they have left over from winter. In addition to this I feed I feed them pollen patties which encourages them to lay brood, build, and forage.

These giant peonies are most likely a direct result of my bees pollination efforts. In the bee yard there are numerous old fruit trees; for the first time last year, dormant trees bloomed and bore fruit. My bee hosts said they had never witnessed so… — These giant peonies are most likely a direct result of my bees pollination efforts. In the bee yard there are numerous old fruit trees; for the first time last year, dormant trees bloomed and bore fruit. My bee hosts said they had never witnessed so many blooms on their trees in years. The whole neighbourhood is benefiting from the work my bees are doing. It is a really cool thing to see!! Bee keeping is not an inexpensive hobby in supplies or time. I work with my bees at least three times a week to make sure they have enough food, room, and for mite and pest control.

Some of you may know that I was in a car accident almost two years ago (not my fault); due to the injuries incurred, I have not been able to work full time, and certainly have not been taking any weddings which is my main bread and butter. It is hard for me to lift heavy things, stand for too long, or look down, all things my work requires. I have not been able to take dance lessons or dance to my fullest capacity at all. (My passion). I am most certainly getting better, but have been incurring horrible, debilitating headaches as I recover, and neck, knee and elbow pain which keeps me up some nights. I never ever had headaches before the injury. I'm used to being strong, healthy, and independent. So this is absolutely no fun for me, and a blow to my pride, finances, and independence. I have been living off my savings these past two years. Hard earned savings. ICBC gives a very low wage supplement which you absolutely have to jump hoops to receive, and barely covers rent in a city like Victoria. It is further complicated by my self employment. Very stressful times.

I wanted you to know I am most grateful for your support. Those who have bought honey, soap, or jewellery the proceeds have gone directly into the upkeep of my bees. Those rare few who consistently share my posts. Bless your hearts. <3

Facebook and Instagram constantly change their algorithms and limit the posts my followers can see; so even though you may have liked and followed my page you may not see many of my posts.

So how do you help small businesses succeed? How do you drive the local economy? How do you prevent the rich from getting richer and the poor from getting poorer?

1. Wherever and whenever you can buy local. Go to farmers markets and local craft shows. Buy from local farmers and artisans. Support local shops instead of big box stores. Buy from individuals instead of large corporations. When you buy from a local artisan you are directly keeping profits within the community. You are helping feed a local individual or family. You are then enabling that artisan to support their local economy as well; by putting their child in local dance classes or horseback riding lessons, to buying their bread and eggs from a local baker and farm. It is the trickle down effect in practice.

2. When a local artisan or business shares a post. Like, love, comment on, and share that post! It is such a simple thing to do and costs you nothing. By doing this it helps others to see that business's post in their feed. It makes it more relevant in FBs or Instagram's eyes, and they allow the post to be seen by more people. When you share the post add a personal comment as well. " This is my friend_____. I have purchased _____from them. I have found them to be _____." or " This is my friend _____. S/he is an amazing_____. Please support their ______."

3. Personal references go a long way. People are more inclined to purchase from someone with a friend or acquaintances' recommendation. Talk the local artisans up in your personal community. Leave google reviews, star ratings, and online recommendations. This is huge! Reviews help people find the artisan. It helps google's search engines find that business, and lifts them in the search engine ranking so that the business can be found by seekers searching for that service.

With this in mind, I have a favour to ask. If you have purchased anything flowers, jewellery, soap, honey, if you are one of my past brides or grooms, please go and leave me a google review. It seems that google, much like FB did a few years ago, has gone and removed all my past reviews.🙁All the comments by my amazing customers and brides over the years. Gone.😢This will extremely help my Google search engine optimization before Mother's Day as I start to work more after my injury. I would be ever so grateful. 🙏<3 Thank you. 💐🐝🍯xox Sarina

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