Bees are Buzzing at Rosedale

By Kellen Sorauf, Rosedale Community Gardener

Bees at Rosedale Community GardenRosedale Community Garden has had the fortune of having two beehives pollenating flowers and providing honey for Rosedale Community Gardeners and community members for the last four years. Last year, just one of the hives produced twenty-eight pounds of honey that was sold at the annual Rosedale Harvest Sale in September. The honey sale was a huge hit with gardeners as well as community members, and Rosedale wanted to increase our honey production. Rosedale Community Garden has over 100 plots stretched over a large area and we wanted to increase the amount of bees in hopes of expanding flower pollination and honey production. However, the City of Denver is restricted to two beehives per property, therefore, Rosedale sought special permission from Denver Parks Department to increase the amount of beehives from two to four.  With the support and help of DUG in the venture, Rosedale beekeepers took DUG and Denver Parks Department employees on a tour of the Rosedale garden. On the garden tour the beekeepers informed Denver Park Department the desire, and benefits of added bees at Rosedale. The Rosedale beehives are kept in the South West corner of the garden and share a fence with a large park and an abandoned elementary school.  Due to the large size of Rosedale Community Garden and the relatively remote location of the beehives, Denver Parks Department granted Rosedale permission in double the beehives from two to four.  Rosedale now has twice the amount of pollinators working in our community garden and twice the amount of bees producing delicious honey for our enjoyment. Rosedale thanks DUG and the Parks Department for recognizing the benefits of the added beehives and allowing us to expand our hives.