Bees4life Garden Germany

A paradise for bees and humans has been created and will continue to unfold its beauty.

 

Jessi’s great-grandfather’s old bee house

After Bees4life has already launched and built two gardens in Vietnam (Bees4life Garden Dalat in 2020 and Community Garden Dalat in 2019), the third garden was added in 2020. This time in Germany.
In spring, Bees4life co-founder Jessi Graf and her partner started to create a bee-friendly permaculture garden.
A lot has happened since then…

But first, very briefly, what is permaculture?

 

Permaculture is originally a sustainable concept for agriculture and horticulture based on the close observation and imitation of natural ecosystems and cycles in nature. The concept was developed in the 1970s by Australian Bill Mollison and his student David Holmgren. The idea is to ensure crucial biodiversity through the selection and arrangement of different plants, which brings countless benefits. Waste products that arise are reused, e.g. by converting them into organic fertilizer.

These are the 3 core principles

    • People care
    • Earth care
    • Fair share

What has happened so far…

 

In the Bees4life garden in Stegen near Freiburg, a lot has already happened in the first year. We have

  • planted terraced and raised beds,
  • fertilized, protected, and improved the soil through mulching and biological fertilizer such as nettle manure,
  • planted different varieties of vegetables, whose flowers have been enjoyed by countless insects,
  • two well-functioning composts created, providing fertile soil,
  • planted many different spring-flowering plants to provide bees with plenty of pollen and nectar early on after the winter,
  • various trees such as almond, mirabelle, plum, and peach as well as various berry bushes planted. They also provide plenty of food for the bees from spring onwards,
  • preparing the beds for winter by applying compost and sowing green manure.

Established terraces to maximise space

Not only do many wild bees, bumblebees, butterflies and many other insects enjoy the diversity of this garden, but also our own honey bee colonies, which have their place at the edge of the garden.
In our opinion, as a beekeeper you also have a certain obligation to offer “your” bees a diverse food supply and to actively engage in insect protection.

     

    Bees4life Garden Black Forest – Outlook for 2021…

     

    There are already many projects lined up for the future.

    We will…

    • Increase the diversity of shrubs, perennials and perennial plants,
    • create a pond. It will contribute to a positive microclimate in the garden and be an important source of water for bees. For many insects, such as dragonflies, near-natural ponds provide a good habitat and thus increase biodiversity in the garden,
    • increase the diversity of vegetables,
    • optimize irrigation to get by with even less water,
    • and convert the existing vines to fungus-resistant varieties and increase diversity among the vines.

    Already in the first year, we were able to harvest a lot

    You can find regular updates and photos on the development of the garden, our permaculture life, and beekeeping on Instagram at Schwarzwald_Permakultur.

    We offer the honey from our bees, which find their food in our garden and the forest just behind the garden, for sale.
    Please contact us for more information.

     

    Fir honey from the Black Forest

    Do you feel like creating a paradise for your family and many animals like insects or fire salamanders?
    Then contact us by e-mail or via Facebook. We are happy to help you get started!

     

    Fire salamanders, slow worms and lizards also feel at home in the Bees4life Garden Black Forest