Beekeeping takes my thoughts away from me and gives them more to something else.

– Marge McLellan

We’re in these little cubicles and we’re on cell phones all the time and we’re really divorced from the natural world. And an experience of the environment is something people look for on the weekend on their mountain bike or extreme kayaking or whatever. I just realized for myself I need that every day. And so coming to the garden is how I decided to make that fit into my life.

– Julie Finley

One of the things that’s fascinating to me is how then can be so intent on what they’re doing. Their whole life is committed to getting pollen and nectar. And the nurse bees, before they go out into the field they’re raising the new bees, caring for the larvae, feeding them. I’m just amazed at the world of bees.

– Ruth Eastman

With a demonstration hive it’s wonderful to see the bees crawl around and to see actual living animals in there.

– Mery Molenaar

The ability to work with these insects and feel their rhythms, to know what they’re going to do before they do it so you can anticipate swarming, for example, and just being in touch with this fascinating little community, is part of what I mean.

– Patricia Butler

The movement of the bees seemed deliberate. It didn’t seem chaotic. It didn’t seem like just a mass of movement. It seemed deliberate like there was a purpose there.

– Suzanne Connolly Howes

Part of my love is is that I love the woodworking, working in my wood shop and just . . . working!

– Ruth Eastman

My son was due in February and the wood for my first hives came in January so I was getting pretty big. And I was getting nervous because I wanted the wood part done before my son was born . . . So I said to my husband, “You need to help me.” I really wanted to do it myself. But I needed some help, so we divided it up.

– Mery Molenaar

I play with a chamber group that has some flutes, cellos and violas as well as violins and a harpsichord. There’s this amazing sense of unity when everybody plays together . . . I think I just feel a little bit transported and I can’t describe anymore clearly what that means.

– Patricia Butler

My goal for this year is to get that one hive looking like it’s solid and strong again and setting them up so they’re in good shape for the winter. I’m not thinking I’m going to get very much honey.

– Suzanne Connolly Howes

If it were warm I’d go out there but it’s too cold to check the bees today.

– Marge McLellan

Sometimes I’ve opened the box and known, “Oh, that’s a virgin queen.” Then I feel like I’m intruding. If you make a mistake right then and squish the wrong bee, it’s all over.

– Julie Finley

I’d like to be a part of getting other people excited about having bees . . . or anything that has to do with beekeeping. Because I had so much wonderful help from other people.

– Ruth Eastman