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Posted on October 15, 2021 by katiescrochetions

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Hey there! I’m Katie, the face behind The Sweetgum Spot. I hope you find it a great place for inspiration, relaxation, and information on all things handmade, homegrown, and from scratch. Take a look around, and enjoy your visit!

sweetgumspot

Suburban homesteaders teaching backyard abundance!
🐝 Beekeeping
đŸŒ± Gardening
🏠 Homesteading
— Learn how to keep bees in your backyard!

Katie | Backyard Beekeeper
If you're thinking about adding some bees to your If you're thinking about adding some bees to your homestead next year, NOW is the time to get your orders in! Although bees aren’t ready for pickup and installation until March and April, it’s important to order your packages and nucs now. Apiaries sell stock fast, and you never know what winter will bring. Both are good reasons to get your name on the list to ensure your bees will be waiting for you come springtime. Plus, if you wait too long to order, you might not be able to get bees until closer to May or June, which can be too hot for a hive to get well established. Check with your local beekeeping association to find your local apiary, because local bees are used to your climate and more likely to thrive where you are. And once you’ve gotten your package or nuc reserved, comment BUZZ! I’ll send you my step by step guide for your first year of beekeeping! FOLLOW @sweetgumspot #backyardbeekeeping #beginnerbeekeeping #beekeepingforbeginners #backyardbees #urbanhomesteading
ITS TIME TO ORDER YOUR BEES!! Join me as I chat a ITS TIME TO ORDER YOUR BEES!! Join me as I chat about: 🐝When to order your bees? 🐝Where to order your bees from? 🐝Different breeds of bees and pros/ cons? Comment BUZZ if you're getting bees next spring!
Finding high quality, fresh food doesn’t have to Finding high quality, fresh food doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Turns out you can actually grow A LOT of what you need right in your own backyard. Yes, you heard me. Your backyard. I did some preliminary research and found that it takes between 1000-2000 square feet per person to provide a year’s worth of food in the garden. But growing and preserving even a fraction of that can make a dent in the grocery budget. Plus, a small flock of backyard chickens or a trio of meat rabbits take up very little space and provide lots of nutritious protein. And you know EXACTLY what they were fed. Better yet, a backyard beehive takes up literally 75-80 square feet (that’s including the space you need around the hive). And it yields up to TEN GALLONS of honey on a good year. FOLLOW to learn more about homesteading right where you are, and comment BUZZ to grab my step by step guide to backyard beekeeping!
Haven't done a photo dump in a while, so here's a Haven't done a photo dump in a while, so here's a few pics from the last few weeks. . 1. Delicious apple pie made with sourdough crust by @farmhouseonboone 2. The (probably) last bouquet of the season! So beautiful! I will miss the touch of outside during the cold season... 3. Perhaps the most delicious way we have cooked rabbit yet. Grilled buffalo rabbit "wings". Definitely a keeper! 4. Some of our black nebula carrots and our first sweet potato! Fall crops are finally coming in!
What about you?? . Why do you homestead? If you're What about you?? . Why do you homestead? If you're a beekeeper, why do you keep bees?? . Let's "bee" friends and make homesteading and keeping bees in your backyard the new normal! FOLLOW @sweetgumspot #backyardhomestead #backyardbeekeeper #backyardbeekeeping
Our secret to growing a 31 pound watermelon! This Our secret to growing a 31 pound watermelon! This watermelon plant was so thick we didn’t even see this monster until it was almost ready to harvest! While the squash bugs made our summer squash and cucumber harvests pretty nonexistent, we have had a CRAZY year for watermelons and pumpkins. And the NUMBER ONE reason they have succeeded is because their pollination has been on fire!  There are constantly bees in and out of the flowers, which means that almost every little baby pumpkin and baby watermelon that comes up gets pollinated.  The only reason we have such great pollination is not because we grow a bunch of pollinator friendly plants (although we do), or not just because we are lucky, but because we have our own hive of bees pointed DIRECTLY at our garden. As soon as our bees leave the hive they are hit in the face with the bright beautiful yellow and orange pumpkin and watermelon flowers! They can’t resist them! If you’re having trouble growing melons, pumpkins, or other fruits that require good pollination, backyard bees can be the solution to your problem. My husband and I had absolutely NO EXPERIENCE with beekeeping until we got our hive last year, and it has been a surprisingly smooth and easy process. Start your own beekeeping journey by commenting BUZZ, and I’ll send you over our FREE guide to creating backyard abundance with bees! FOLLOW @sweetgumspot #backyardhomestead #backyardbeekeeping #homesteadersofinstagram
My NUMBER ONE suggestion for anyone looking to imp My NUMBER ONE suggestion for anyone looking to improve the health and production of their garden. It has nothing to do with soil health or fertilizing, or mulch or watering. My number one suggestion for improving your harvests is to get a hive of bees on your property.  Pollination can be a huge hurdle for some gardens. By keeping bees in direct sight of your garden, you will increase the chances of your success immensely. And you won’t have to go out with a q-tip trying to pollinate all your flowers yourself. My husband and I grew up in the suburbs and had no prior experience with gardening, beekeeping, or farming. But we have been able to keep bees successfully and get gallons of honey and pounds of produce! Keeping bees is one of the easiest and most low maintenance animals you can add to a homestead. In my opinion, they are the “gateway drug” to suburban homesteading. They take you from being just a gardener to a beekeeper. And making the next leap to getting a rabbitry or some chickens seems even easier after seeing the magic bees make.  My guide spells out every single step you need throughout the year to make it to harvest day. Comment BUZZ to grab it today! FOLLOW @sweetgumspot #gardentips #homesteadgardens #backyardbeekeeping #homesteadersofinstagram #urbanhomestead #backyardbees
How do you keep bees with kids? đŸ˜± I want to as How do you keep bees with kids? đŸ˜± I want to ask them, how do you do anything with kids? You include them, you inform them, and you create boundaries. Beekeeping is one of the centerpieces of our homestead, and that means our kids know about them, are curious about them, and are welcome to learn! Granted one is still nursing so she doesn't have much interest, but are almost 3-year-old knows a lot already! And once she's old enough to fit into a suit, you bet she'll be in the hive with us. It's important to make boundaries very clear. How far away you want your kids to stay from the hive, how you want them to act around bees in the garden, etc. I believe empowerment and knowledge are much stronger than fear, so we encourage our oldest to be curious and excited yet respectful of the bees when she sees them working in the garden. We know allergies can be a concern for some people, so have remedies on hand and plans in place if something were to happen. But I also say, that sometimes curiosity gets the best of kids and they have to learn the hard way... Charlie got her first sting just a month ago because she picked up a bee while it was working. We talked about how that bee gave its life to try and defend itself and how it wasn't angry just scared. I can tell you that she hasn't picked up a bee since lol. Comment below if you would keep bees with your kids! I know people have very strong opinions about this type of thing so I want to know yours! FOLLOW for more Beekeeping tips, and comment BUZZ to grab The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Beekeeping while it's still at launch pricing!
I didn’t always bake all our family’s bread. I didn’t always bake all our family’s bread. For the longest time I had convinced myself it was impossible to bake bakery quality bread on my own. But over the last three years I have learned just how easy it is to create bakery quality loaves right in my own kitchen. Here are some reasons I wish I would’ve started sooner! Sourdough is great for gut health. The wild yeast captured in long fermented sourdough has many benefits for your gut. Sourdough can be more easily digested by people with gluten sensitivities, and it can help facilitate healthier digestive systems than store bought bread, which often can cause digestive issues. It saves money. Buying raw ingredients in bulk saves a bunch of money when you compare it to buying already baked loaves. It’s a skill I’ll NEVER lose. As a beginner homesteader, I’m always working to learn new skills I can use to provide my family with nourishing food. It’s also a skill I can teach my daughters and pass down. Learning to bake our own bread has saved us money, kept us eating healthier, and taught us a new skill we can use for years to come. I’m so glad I started, and so excited for those of you getting ready to bake your first loaf! FOLLOW to watch our suburban homesteading journey! I share homesteading tips, tricks, and inspiration on Instagram and tiktok each and every day! And
 DON’T FORGET! Comment BUZZ if you’re thinking of getting your first hive of bees! I’ll send you my guide on how to keep bees in your backyard.
Imagine a beekeeping guide that teaches you the be Imagine a beekeeping guide that teaches you the best place to put your hive, how often to inspect the hive and what to look for in an inspection, how to treat for and prevent against pests, how to give your bees the best chance of survival in winter, and how to harvest gallons of honey every year. When my husband and I started beekeeping, we felt completely blind. Each milestone with our bees came as a bit of a surprise, and even though we took a beekeeping class, we always ended up scrambling at the last minute. Heck, our introduction to being beekeepers was getting a phone call when we were in Arizona that our bees were ready to be picked up. Needless to say, our beekeeping journey has been a bit of a bumpy ride at times. We’ve kept them alive, and we’re reaping the gallons of rewards this year, but along the way, we found ourselves painting hive boxes in our garage at 10:30 at night, wondering if what we saw in the hive was “normal,” and thinking every little thing was going to lead to a swarm. The Ultimate Guide to Beekeeping is my attempt to quell all you beginner beekeepers’ worries, and help you be prepared for the amazing journey you are embarking on. Comment BUZZ below to check it out! FOLLOW @sweetgumspot #backyardfarming #backyardbeekeeping #beekeepingforbeginners #beekeeping101 #urbanhomestead #microhomestead
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