Doug's Blog

Fall is the perfect time to to add decoration to the garden and certainly a place to sit. Even though it’s getting colder, late fall and early winter still offer opportunities to enjoy outdoor spaces.
All the stuff I used on the show was from The Outlet Barn just off the Parkway in Robinson on the way to the airport. You get off on Campbell’s Run Road. They have an eclectic collection of cool stuff for the garden. They are located at 4577 Campbells Run Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205, call 412-494-5190 for more information.

It’s been a wonderful season, the first I’ve had with bees. I teamed up with Steve Repasky, a master beekeeper from Burgh Bees.
He’s taught me all about how to care for these amazing creatures. I’ve always dreamed of having bees and it’s been great to watch them work.
I’ve benefited from all their pollination with an abundance of vegetables this year.
When I started working with Steve I told him all I wanted was the bees incredible pollinating ability. He could keep the honey, I thought it was a fair trade for everything he was doing for me.
Thanks god he talked me out of that agreement because the honey is unbelievable. If you think store bought honey is good, forget about it, find the real stuff.
If you’re interested in finding a source for TRUE honey or would like to learn beekeeping, click on this Burgh Bees link. The classes for beginning beekeeping are Saturday November 5th and 12th, 2011.
I’ll be in the class getting my official training, I hope to put a couple more hives in the garden.
Here are some of my favorite plants to help the bees forage. Hyssop is a great summer favorite of the bees and it’s indestructible. Asters are a great source of nectar in the fall. The bees love salvia, ‘May Night’ is one of my favorite perennial varieties.
Plant lots of flowers to bring in the bees and other pollinators.

The garden centers have everything on sale and this is a great time to plant. This is also a time to see the fall show shrubs and trees have to offer.
There are lots of plants that bloom in the spring and then provide color in the fall too.
Hydrangea ‘Pinky Winky’ has white blooms that turn deep purple in the fall.
Sourwood trees also have wonderful spring blooms and then the leaves turn a remarkable shade of red.
There are lots of new holly varieties that will put on big red berries.
Beautyberry has incredible purple berries covering the plant.
New varieties of burning bushes have red berries and red foliage in the fall.

Join me and my radio partner Jessica Walliser this Sunday October 9th, 2011 at all three Giant Eagle Market District stores for a free gardening and cooking demonstration.
We’ll be cooking three great recipes with honey from my hive! The starter is something I’ve been working on for the last couple weeks. It’s a roasted sweet corn, onion, hot pepper and honey recipe that’s been a hit here at home.
We’ll be at the Bethel Park GEMD at 10am, then Robinson at 1pm and Shadyside at 4pm.
Hope to see you there!