The Lincoln Home in Newcastle is pleased to welcome Jean Vose of Nobleboro to speak about Backyard Honey Bees and Pollinators on Monday, April 29 beginning at 3 p.m.

A beehive in or near the garden ensures a good seed crop and fresh honey for the table. If one has never considered the possibility of raising bees, think of all the garden crops that rely upon pollination. Even accounting for native bee pollinators, honey bees still do much of the pollinating of fruits and vegetables in our gardens. 

Vose is an experienced Master Gardener, certified horticulturist and backyard beekeeper where she has created gardens to attract pollinators as well as the other beneficial creatures. The original homestead, established in 1910, features a farmhouse of that era bounded by over 10 acres of open fields and mixed woods. The gardens feature vegetables, herbs, ornamental grasses, trees, and shady spots. Most of the gardens have been established for over 15 years.

This slideshow program will provide a brief history of beekeeping in America; how and when honey bees arrived. Vose will provide information and how-to hints on how to encourage bees and other pollinators. She will introduce local pollinators including, but not limited to, native bees, other insects, birds, butterflies and even bats. She will also talk about the plants needed to draw and sustain these important pollinators. Informational handouts will be available.

She keeps busy with activities in the Knox & Lincoln Counties Master Gardeners, Knox-Lincoln County Beekeepers, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, the Maine State Beekeeping Association, Nobleboro Historical Society, and First Baptist Church of Waldoboro. She presents programs about honey bees, pollinators, birds and how to develop gardens to attract them. Annually in January, she facilitates Seed Swaps with information about saving seed.