6/5/2026
Beekeeping for Beginners: Your First Hive in Zone 7a
Start a colony of honey bees with confidence. This guide covers hive setup, essential equipment, seasonal management, and what to expect in your first year in Zone 7a.
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Blog
Useful writing on growing food, preserving it, sharing it, and keeping more life local.
6/3/2026
Native Pollinators for the Home Garden: Which Plants to Grow and How to Build a Season-Long Feeding Ground
You do not need a big yard to support pollinators. You need the right plants planted in the right sequence. This guide covers which native plants work in Zone 7a, how to arrange them for continuous bloom, and how to set up even a small space as a feeding ground for wild bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
6/3/2026
Beekeeping for Beginners: Setting Up and Managing Your First Hive
Beekeeping is one of the most hands-on ways to connect with your land. This guide walks through what you need, what to expect, and how to manage a colony through its first year.
5/26/2026
Beekeeping for Beginners: Your First Hive From Equipment to Your First Inspection
Backyard beekeeping is one of the most rewarding steps a gardener can take. This guide walks you through choosing equipment, setting up your first hive, buying your bees, and what to expect in your first year.
5/18/2026
Beekeeping for the Homestead: Your First Hive and What the First Year Actually Looks Like
Beekeeping is one of the most practical skills on a small homestead. This guide walks through everything a beginner needs to know: legal requirements in Tennessee, equipment and costs, sourcing your bees, setting up the hive, and what to expect month by month.
5/15/2026
Native Plants for Your Vegetable Garden: A Simple Way to Bring in Better Pollinators
Planting the right native flowers along your garden edges attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that make your tomatoes, squash, and berries actually produce fruit.
4/29/2026
Backyard Beekeeping for Beginners: Your First Hive, Your First Harvest
Beekeeping is one of the most rewarding things a home gardener can take on. Here is the practical, low-cost way to set up your first hive, what Tennessee requires, and what to expect in your first season.
4/11/2026
Starting a Backyard Beehive: What Beginners Really Need First
A practical beginner's guide to starting with bees, including basic gear, hive placement, realistic first-year expectations, and the habits that matter most.