The Bee Book with DK Canada

Earth Day is "the world's largest environmental movement" and is celebrated on April 22. But, really every day should be Earth Day. And one of the most important  players in our ecosystem. "At least 30% of the world’s crops and 90% of all plants require cross-pollination to spread and thrive, and here in Canada, bees are our most important pollinators."

I recently received a hive kit as a gift. I'm pretty excited to get started, but the instructions included were quite minimal. I just knew that DK Canada would have a book that would give me all the information I need. And they did - The Bee Book!

But before even getting to setting up a hive, you need to know more about the bees themselves. The first few chapters of The Bee Book give you just that - history, evolution, decline, species and an in depth look at honey bees that was absolutely fascinating."1 LB of honey takes up to 40,000 miles of flying to produce." " A worker can visit up to 2000 flowers a day." And did you know about the honey bee waggle dance?

How to attract bees is the next entry. Flowers (there are colour photos and descriptions of many varieties), vegetable garden plans,  houses (separate from hives),  the how and the whys.

Next was caring for bees. I had absolutely zero knowledge before reading The Bee Book. I was happy to find a box similar to mine explained. Where to set up and why. And dealing with the thing that does frighten me a bit - getting stung. Tools, equipment and care are covered. And let's not forge - you need to actually have bees to start - where to get them? There is much more to caring for bees than providing a hive. This seems somewhat daunting, but there are detailed, very clear instructions included.

And after all that hard work (more on the part of the bees I think!) - the harvest! Jarred honey, beeswax candles, beeswax polish, soaps and even some health remedies.

Am I ready to start my own hive? Well, I feel much more prepared now thanks to The Bee Book. But I'll be referring to it often! The Bee Book has detailed entries, colour photos and is well laid out with easy to read text boxes. (exactly what I've come to know and appreciate from all DK books) Check out the sample pages below.

Do it Yourself - with DK Canada!

I am a huge DIYer. I love fixing, building, creating and learning. What better book to have as a reference than Do It Yourself: A step-by-step guide to fixing, building and installing almost anything in your home by Julian Cassell, Peter Parham and Jon Eakes. Do It Yourself is only one of the great reference books available at DK Canada. This edition has been adapted for Canada by Jon Eakes and complies with Canadian building codes.

I've lived in a fixer upper for many years. We're heading into the home stretch - just in time to start all over again! It's been a learning curve! This is a great 'how do you do it?' for anyone starting out in their first home or those just looking to make sure they're on the right track.

You'll find scores of subcategories under these main headings: Tools, Equipment and Materials, Alterations and Repairs, Kitchens and Bathrooms, Decorating and Finishing, Improving HOme Performance, Outdoor Alterations and Repairs, Electrical, Plumbing and Heating. Whew! I think that covers everything you might need help with in your house!

What makes this book one of my favourite reference books are the pictures. I am a visual learner and following the clear concise directions accompanied by detailed colour images makes me feel confident in both the instructions and my ability to follow them. Every 'task' includes an overview, a materials and equipment list and is then broken down into steps. This attention to detail makes even large jobs seem doable. There's nothing like doing it yourself.

I've had great fun flipping through and reading various entries. There are some great ideas throughout. As well as some 'problem solver' sections and safety precautions. What's really neat are the 'green' entries - conserving energy using solar power, wind power and more.

Just an excellent book all round! Now, I'm off to lay out a cement pad for my new garden shed!