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Learning Forgotten Arts

If you are looking for a special day out with friends, want to learn a new skill or just looking for something different to do then you won't get a better day out than at Forgotten Arts.  Forgotten Arts provides hands-on workshops by gifted artisans on a stunning lifestyle property in Clevedon.  They currently teach candle, soap, knife and cheese making, patch working, felting, sewing, leather work, pyrography, gourd art, hedgerow weaving and making beef jerky, with more courses o...

What's So Special About Kirikiriroa Honey?

Gordon Chesterman (HCC Councillor) & Martin checking out the Kirikiriroa honey Unblended honeys are not new, but the fact that Sweetree’s honeys are not based on a single flower source but the local area and season make our approach unique. For this reason we choose our sites carefully and we never mix honey from different locations. Each apiary location has its own special nuance and character and this is reflected in the honey when you come to taste it. Sweetree Kirikiriroa is cert...

Honey Smoothie

Another great breakfast or afternoon smoothie. ...

Carrot Smoothie

Not only is a carrot smoothie a refreshing way to start the day, it also cleanses and detoxifies the liver....

Hakarimata's a Honey

With summer here it is a great time to share some special Waikato spots we have found in the areas where our honeys are harvested.  Last but certainly not least is Hakarimata!  Hakarimata Scenic Reserve is the range of hills running alongside Ngaruawahia, it's a great place to see Kauri and enjoy a walk or tramp through native bush.  Here's some great walks in the reserve: ...

Idyllic Ohui

We have been sharing some special spots we have found in the areas where our honeys are harvested, todays area is a magic spot in its own right!  Ohui is nestled between Pauanui and Whangamata, on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula, right next to Opoutere.  Ohui means 'place of meeting', so why not meet some friends there and check out the area!   The Ohui / Opoutere area is truly an idyllic spot to get away from it all!  With a beautiful isolated white sa...

Surprising Horsham Downs

With summer here we are sharing some special Waikato spots we have found in the areas where our honeys are harvested.  This time it's the Horsham Downs area, our home base.  Horsham Downs is just north of Hamilton City and surprisingly has a few things worth checking out!    Horsham Downs Golf Course Tucked in between the Waikato River and River Road in Hamilton lies an unexpected gem for golf lovers. Only 3 kilometres from Flagstaff in the northern suburb...

Beet The Thirst Smoothie

Beetroot has many health benefits so it's worth adding a beetroot smoothie to your week....

Fun To Be Had In Hamilton City (Kirikiriroa)

Summer is here!  A great time for us to share some special Waikato spots in areas where our honeys are harvested.  This time I'm going to focus on Hamilton City, Kirikiriroa (the Maori name for Hamilton).  Make sure you don't overlook The Tron if you are in the area, it has lots to offer!  Three spots that are special to us, and our beehives are:...

Lemonade Concentrate

This is a natural lemonade concentrate that can be used with a soda stream.  This is a much healthier option that store bought lemonade, with no processed sugar or preservatives!...

Picturesque Four Brothers!

With summer around the corner we are sharing some special Waikato spots we have found in the areas where our honeys are harvested.  This time I'm going to focus on the Four Brothers Reserve area.  The Four Brothers Reserve is between Hamilton and Raglan at the top of the deviation.  It's a beautiful scenic drive from Hamilton to Raglan with quite a few gems to see along the way, including:  ...

Recycling Week

This coming week is 'Recycling Week' in New Zealand.  It aims to raise awareness about recycling and to help us improve our recycling habits.  It encourages us to think about a different recycling habit each day of this week.  For example: Procurement Monday: Only purchase things that can be recycled such as paper, glass and aluminium (these are best).  If plastic is the only option then choose types 1, 2 & 4, as they are more easy to recycle. Waste Free Tuesday:  M...

Timeless Marokopa

With summer around the corner I thought we could share with you some special Waikato spots we have found in the areas where our honeys are harvested from.  This time I'm going to focus on Marokopa.  You may wonder where Marokopa is!  It's about 3/4 of an hour west of Waitomo, right beside the rugged west coast.  When you drive into the settlement you feel like you are going back in time.  It is a wonderful place to escape the hustle and bustle of life and just ...

Did You Know That Bees Dance!

Bees dance to communicate to other bees in their colony where food sources can be found, possible new homes, etc.  The dance is called a 'waggle dance', it's fascinating!  A bee returns to the hive fully loaded up with honey and pollen and then uses the waggle dance to tell the others the location of where she has just visited.  The dancing bee makes a figure eight and waggles her body at the same time to relay information.  The information she gives includes the locatio...

Duties of Bees

Have you ever wondered what the honey bee gets up to when it's in the hive?  Did you know that a bee is allocated a job depending on its age?  Here are the jobs they are allocated:...

Wild Flower Seeds Help NZ Bees

Thanks to all those that have purchased the Bee Friendly Wild Flower seed mix from us.  In total Sweetree has raised $2013 from sales of these seeds to help NZ bees.  We will continue to sell these so it's not to late to encourage bees to your garden! Bees are vital for the pollination of many flowers. This mixture has been composed of flowers that are proven bee favourites in our gardens. Bees will forage on these flowers for nectar and pollen which provide carbohydrates and...

Berry Yummy Smoothie

Loaded with antioxidants this berry smoothie has great health benefits....

Herbs as Bee Food in Your Garden

Plant some herbs this summer to attract bees to your garden. With some pre planning and planting you are guaranteed to have bees buzzing in your garden patch all summer long.  Even when our herb garden was in it's first year of growth we had bees galore.  A bee keeper once told me that bees love blue flowers and I have found this to be true. ...

Wendyl's Rub-on Deodorant

Wendyl's natural deodorant is great for you when you need them on a daily basis, and over the longer term. This is unlike commercial deodorants which contain aluminium ingredients that have been linked to breast cancer and then there are the anti-perspirants which stop you sweating.  We are meant to sweat, it’s one of the ways we get rid of toxins out of our bodies.   To apply you simply get about 1/4 tsp on your finger and rub it on your armpit.  One ap...

Where Would We Be Without Bees?

Some people may think bees are just a summertime nuisance. But these small and amazingly hard-working insects make it possible for many of our favorite foods to reach our tables. From apples to almonds to the blueberries in our blueberry pies, we have bees to thank.Here is just some of the foods that we need to thank bees for: ApplesAlmondsAll SpiceApricotsAsparagusBlackberriesBlueberriesBrazil nutsBroccoliBrussel SproutsCabbageCacaoCoffeeCarrotsCashew NutsCauliflowersCeleryCherri...

Bee Aware Month

September is the month we dedicate to celebrating our New Zealand bees!  It's a great time to remind us all how important bees are to New Zealand's environment, biodiversity and economy....

Types of Bees

Did you know there are three types of bees in the beehive?  They are the queen, worker and drone bees....

The Anatomy of a Worker Bee

Bees, like all insects, have three body sections - the head, thorax and abdomen. ...

The Life Cycle of Bees

Like other insects a bee starts it's life as an egg.  The queen bee lays an egg the size of half a grain of rice into a comb cell.  After a few days it hatches into a larvae.    The larvae now looks like a grain of rice with a mouth. Worker bees will visit up to 1,300 times a day to fed the larvae bee bread, a mix of nectar, bee pollen and a small amount of royal jelly.  If the larvae is to be a queen it is fed solely on royal jelly.  Within about 5-6 days the cell ...

Honey Lip Balm

Everyone needs lip balm from time to time, especially if you're in the elements.  It's a great gift to make! ...