In this episode of Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing welcome George Scott, president and founder of Niagara Beeway, to discuss the importance of protecting native bee species, as well as other native flora and fauna.

About Niagara Beeway

Niagara Beeway advocates for species native to Niagara. Their objective is to protect existing native flora and fauna by restoring and creating a native habitat which services bees, birds, native plants, and animals and provides educational opportunities for their community. 

Here are some of the questions and topics covered in this episode:

• How did Niagara Beeway get started?
• What is Niagara Beeway’s mission?
• What is the Niagara Beeway?
• George shared that after examining his hives today, this season has been a success with the survival rate of his bees.
• What is the beekeeping industry like in the Niagara Region?
• Replacement bees from the Carpathian Region of Ukraine, a region very similar to the Niagara Region.
• The benefits of the Carpathian bees in Ontario.
• What are some myths about the apiculture industry or home beekeeping?
• What is your ‘Host a Hive’ program?
• If I wanted to have my own hive, what are some things to consider before becoming a beekeeper?
• The importance of planning native plants versus ornamental plants to help pollinators.
• Articles on their site:
  • The Buzz on Pollinators: Keystone Plants Create Biodiversity
  • The Buzz on Pollinators: Beginning a Pollinator Patch is Easy

Find Niagara Beeway online:

• www.NiagaraBeeway.com
• Facebook: @NiagaraBeeway
• Instagram: @niagarabeeway
• Twitter: @niagarabeeway
• Niagara Beeway Store: www.CanadaBeeline.com

Resources mentioned during the show

Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden

Down the Garden Path Podcast

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. A horticulturist and landscape designer, Matthew Dressing owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, they do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

In their new book, Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and Matthew distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. It's now available on Amazon.

Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube and Patreon.