My name is Deborah DeLong, and I am an urban beekeeper and English gardener in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am also a writer, a management consultant and an attorney, in that order.
There are a lot of blogs about beekeeping and a lot of blogs about gardening. However, I couldn’t find any blogs about beekeeping AND gardening! Or, in my words, making beekeeping beautiful!!
I appreciate any suggestions, requests, complaints, etc. You can email me at ddelong@ddlconsulting.com, or just leave a comment on this blog.
Happy bee gardening!
Deb
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Romancing the Bee 
thank you for taking care of the bees Deb:) blessings
It is my pleasure! And thank you for your lovely site!!
Love the name of your blog. I am also a gardener and beekeeper, trying to marry the two interests. Business is Jardins d’Alchemie (I am in France). No blog yet–too busy, so far, in the garden, catching swarms and so forth. Look forward to more of your posts.
I love the name of your business!
Are you really catching swarms? Awesome!
The bees around here are such homebodies…. 🙂
I nominated you for the WordPress Versatile Blogger Award!
http://greenboxgarden.wordpress.com/versatile-blogger-award/
I’m flabbergasted!! Thank you SO much!! 🙂
I have bee hives on my ‘things to add to my garden’ list, just not quite there yet. Hoping to do a beekeeping course though. Love your blog, and thanks for stopping by mine 🙂
Bees are so much fun! I hope you will join the ranks of us “beeks” soon! 🙂
My community garden in DC just got some beehives from the city government as part of a project to promote healthy bee populations. I don’t know much about bees, but I hope to learn something by sharing my garden space with them!
Great! Two books I would recommend to you for getting up to speed are “Beekeeping For Dummies” and Michael Bush’s “Practical Beekeeping.”
I personally am an organic beekeeper — I don’t use any chemicals. I hope you choose to go that route!!
Thanks for the book suggestions, I’ll check them out. We are an organic only garden too, so hopefully that makes the bees happy!
Hi such a sweet blog! I love the idea of making the hives beautiful but it seems they are all in England…
Thanks! Leslie
I’m SO glad you like my blog!! Not all the beautiful hives are in England. I’ll post some pictures of my own soon. 🙂
I’m waiting for all my roses to bloom around the hives!!
Honey is one ingredient my pantry cannot do without as I use it for making breads and for steeping ginger tea 🙂 I love your garden and seeing you guys produce honey (so awesome!).
Thank you! I love your blog — it’s so exotic and colorful!!
I love my garden and my bees, but honey harvesting is my least favorite activity. The bees get so upset (who can blame them?)
I swear there is one little bee who is still gunning for me!! 🙂
Thanks so much 🙂 Yours is such a unique endeavor and it’s interesting to read about your beekeeping adventures. But wait… where do you get the bees? Or do the bees find you? 🙂
It would be so cool if my bees had found me! (except for that feisty one that keeps tailing me while I garden…)
The truth is that I ordered my bees from Texas. They’re bold and they’re bossy and they never get sick. All good. 🙂
I’ve heard of people harvesting their own herbs, their own chicken and other vegetables. But your blog shows that people harvest their own honey in their own garden — pure awesomeness!
It’s really pretty common, at least here in the Heartland. 🙂
My neighbors are terrified that I may start raising chickens. They like the bees though.
Would love to have my own garden but as it is, I’ve been a building dweller most of my life. So I make do with a few potted herbs on a windowsill in a tropical country at that. AND amazingly bees manage to find us all the way up here!!! :p
Now THAT’S awesomeness! I love bees… 🙂
LOL 🙂 We can thank Singapore’s extraordinary and exceptionally lush greenery amidst a fast-paced city. Need I mention I saw a large a eagle glide past my window? (Really :p)
There is growing evidence that bees and other wildlife (such as your eagle!) are actually better off in the city than in the country. More wholesome food and no pesticides… 😦
That’s an idea — but I think this works if the city has clean, healthy air? I’ve seen cities where it’s rare to see butterflies and dragonflies. 😦
Love this!!!!!! We are trying to do the same thing with bees and gardening…I was pretty excited when my hubby gave me free reign with buying and planting plants for our “girls” 🙂 I love seeing the bees busy in the garden 🙂
Thank you!! My “girls” are a lot of fun to watch and play with! 🙂
[…] It’s not everyday that you meet a beekeeper. Thought I’d celebrate our meeting of blogs by trying one of her recipes this Sunday. Meet Deb — the urban beekeeper and awesome gardener behind the blog Romancing The Bee […]
Hello my friend,
I like your writing up here. I think if you keep doing what you’re doing now, you will have good future. So keep it up my friend! 🙂
I have a joyful ride in your blog, and now I’d like to invite you to visit mine. Thank you and have a wonderful day, my friend! 🙂
Subhan Zein
I LOVE english gardens and have been slowly trying to convert my yard to look something like one. They’re kind of ‘less work’ once they’re properly established right? Cause you don’t have to weed as much with a garden full to bursting with lush vegetation that suppresses weeds?
Exactly!! You can just enjoy!!
I just wanted to let you know that i enjoy your blog so much that I have nominated you for the “One Lovely Blog Award”! Go to http://alotonyourplate.wordpress.com/ for details 🙂 Congrats, you deserve it! – J
What a beautiful blog! My friend has just taken up bee-keeping so I will forward a link to her.
Great!! I’m so glad you like my blog. I love writing it!! 🙂
What a novel blog you have. Beautifully done! I will visit again to be sure.
Thank you for visiting my blog and following me. I am very honored.
From a non-beekeeper gardener now curious about bees.
Peace,
Alexandria
Thank you for the compliment! I think you will like my approach to beekeeping. 🙂
I love your blog!! There’s no pressure to participate, but I nominated you for the Very Inspirational Blogger Award, and hope that will make you smile. 🙂 Your blog makes me smile often! Blessings! –Anne
Thank you very much and blessings to you too! This does make me smile!! 🙂
Lovely name for your blog, and a beautiful picture on this page, too. I’m going to pass this along to a friend who is super interested in urban gardening (and maybe beekeeping, too, who knows?) 🙂
Thank you SOOO much!! 🙂
Although you’ve already been nominated for the “Versatile Blogger Award,” your site is such a joy and inspiration that it deserves another. Congratulations! If you go to http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/ or my site (http://bibliopharm.wordpress.com/), you can find out more about the award.
You have a fantastic blog here and I look forward to reading more. Thanks so much for the ” like” on my post! I love the honey cupcake recipe you have here – it’s very similar to the honey and lavender cupcakes I made recently and were a big hit. I will have to give your recipe a whirl next.
Thank you as well!
Deborah,
What a wonderful blog you have! I never really considered the beauty of beekeeping. Thanks for stopping by to visit the Backyard Sisters.
[…] lookout for more recipes utilizing honey and coincidentally, a blogger who liked one of our posts, romancing the bee, is a beekeeper herself and has many delicious sounding and looking […]
Thank you for mentioning my blog and your kind words!! 🙂
http://href.li/?http://mehaffeyfarm.wordpress.com is a link for a friend of mine who writes a blog on her family farm flower and veggies and BEE KEEPING 🙂 if you get time check it out and thanks for looking at mine. I too garden (both) and do photography here and everywhere with a cheap little Kodak easy share but I still enjoy it. Loved your BLOG! Again Thanks so much!
I happened along your Blog and it is wonderful. My husband and I are beeks as well and gardening is a huge part of our lives, we actually started keeping bees because of our garden! But just wanted to drop a line and tell you how much we enjoy your special little bee garden blog!!
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness!! 🙂
i love how special bees are in nature….thanks for looking after them!!!
I’m a gardener first and a nubie beekeeper with lots to learn. I figure it’s a no brainer. Gardens need pollinators.
For years all we grew was veggies. I’d always say “you can’t eat the flowers” when my wife wanted to plant them. Now that we have bees, we are planting all kinds of flowers trying to provide a continual nectar flow. It’s so much fun.
It IS so much fun!! My problem is leaving my bees alone… 🙂
Hi from Flowery Prose! I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award and the Very Inspirational Blogger Award! Your nomination is on my Virtual Bouquets tab! (If you’re not participating in these awards, please accept my sincere apologies).
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Hi Deborah! I wanted to pass this award on to you. Have never seen this one before and thought it was really cool! 🙂 Blessings! –Anne http://mylifeuncutalmost.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/mrs-sparklys-ten-commandments-award/
Thank you SO much!!
Thank you for reading and the “Like” of my post.
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi! this is 2me4art & I just nominated you for the Sunshine award. I love your blog! -Amy
Thanks SO much! I Love your blog too!! 🙂
Deb
I found you via Robin of Bringing Europe Home. You have a lovely blog!
Thank you so much!! I love Robin’s blog too!! 🙂
Thank you for liking my post “Jekyll and Hydrangea”.
As someone who kept bees for a few years, I really appreciate your efforts to bring gardening and beekeeping together. Sometimes I miss working with the hives, but I probably won’t be able to do that again until after retirement!
Best of luck with your blog and the hobbies that inspire it.
Thank you too!! 🙂
xo Deb
Great idea, linking gardening and bee-keeping. I’m just starting to find out about beekeeping – I’m hoping to have a hive or two, one day soon. I’m developing a garden/smallholding along permaculture lines in the UK – where I’m trying to garden, and look after our meadow and orchard areas, in a way that is friendly to bees. Thanks for visiting my blog – it’s very motivating knowing that real bee keepers might be keeping an eye on what I’m up to! Best wishes.
It’s so important to create a bee-friendly habitat!! Thanks for that!!
Deb
Hey there! I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award here: http://theappletizer.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-one-lovely-blog-award/! Congratulations and keep up the lovely blogs. 🙂
Thanks so much!! 🙂
xo Deb
Please consider yourself nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!
This is because you are awesome, and I think your blog is too. Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice.
Please find my nomination here: http://katiepede.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/the-versatile-blogger-award-oh-la-la/
and then pass on the honour…
They have some rules, and then also add your link to here: http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/vba-winners/
Much love
Kate x
That is so great!! Thanks SO much!! xo Deb
Well your blog is great, I love it! I hope you are enjoying London. 🙂 x
Hi Deborah! Your blog is great and you make me want to keep bees! If you’d like it, please accept an award…
Thank you SO much! I will compose a proper thank you when I return to the states and have more time!!
Deb
Hi Deb, I’m glad to have pleased you! I know it took me ages to get around to posting and I still didn’t get the award icon to appear correctly. Oh well, practise makes perfect! Have a good trip
I just wanted to drop you a message, and let you know that I enjoy your work, and your outlook on life. As a fellow attorney, I especially like how you put your profession last (in that order) in your “about me” I know too many attorneys who’s sole identity is their occupation, so I find your take refreshing. Be well, and thank you for your wonderful content.
Hi Deborah, I’ve tagged you and your lovely blog for an award. For details follow http://eamharris.com/2012/06/27/mrs-sparklys-ten-commandments-award-nominations/
Cheers
Deborah, I’ve been really enjoying following your blog. Thanks for all the great work! Thus, I’ve nominated your blog for the Reader Appreciation Award. Please feel free to stop by oceannah and collect.
*anna
I love your blog and have nominated you for the “Tell Me About Yourself Award”.
Because I enjoy your blog, I have nominated you for the Inspiring blogger award. You can find more details here… http://www.dragonfliesandhummingbirds.wordpress.com/awards/
Enjoy!
Thank you!
Great blog Deb, and thanks for checking out mine. Bee well!
Thank you as well! 🙂
I love your priority list – beekeeper at the top, attorney at the bottom. Your site is so inviting. I look forward to visiting it often.
Thanks! Those words are great to hear!! 🙂
Hi Deb. As you probably already know, I have nominated you for an Inspiring Blog Award, with nothing to do other than bask in the glow! Thank you for spending hours and hours of your time creating a lovely and inspiring blog for all of us to enjoy. http://thefarmerstaft.com/2012/08/06/feel-the-love-inspiring-blog-award-and-15-bloggers-you-should-visit/
Thank you so much!! I am always inspired by your joyous posts!!
xo Deb
Deborah, I know you have received this nomination before, but you are one of my Very Inspiring Bloggers – and so I included Romancing the Bee on my list of nominees. http://gardensforgoldens.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/very-inspired-inspiring/
Thanks for making my day on a regular basis. 🙂 Ogee (now revealed as Audrey)
Thank you so much!! And the Noble Bayard thanks you too!!
xo Deb
You’re so welcome…and deserving 🙂
I just love your honey ideas, recipes & information!! Thank you:)
Thank YOU!!
Deb
Hi Deborah,
I’ve been enjoying your blog for several months, so it seemed right to include you on my list of Seven Super Bloggers.
Please don’t feel obligated to pass it on.
Your recent recipes look delicious.
Alys
http://gardeningnirvana.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/boomdeeada-one-lovely-bog-award/
I hope a few of my readers link over.
I nominated your blog for the Sunshine Award. It is up to you if you would like to accept it or not. No pressure. Just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blog and what a fabulous job you are doing! Take Care.
yup, it’s me again! I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger award. It is up to you if you would like to accept it or not. Take your time. Just wanted to let you know that you are beautiful! 🙂
[…] at Romancing the Bee shared a recipe for this sweet sensation last week. She says it’s quick and easy, and […]
I love this! I’ve been telling my husband about bees for a while now. I’ve almost got him on board! Your garden is beautiful! Keep up the great work!
You will love keeping bees!! 🙂
We have a bazillion bees at the holler, probably because of the orchards and all the flowering plants I planted to attract them. I need to learn more about them, so your blog is just the ticket! Will look forward to reading throught it!
You know I love your blog. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your garden, I’ve nominated your blog for the Sunshine Award: http://threepeapermaculture.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/and-the-award-goes-to/
Such wonderful, inspiring work on your part. I nominated you for the Inspiring Blogger Award. You may have a full plate. You can combine the efforts of course. My nomination was at SwittersB & Fly Fishing. Thank you for your beautiful efforts….Gary
Thank you so very much!!
xo, Deb
Always enjoying your beautiful site, and now I am letting you know that I have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Details of this award can be viewed on my site. Thanks for all the inspiration.
Thank you very much!
xo, Deb
Hi Deb–such a fan of your blog so…I nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! http://brooklynlocavore.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/three-cheers-for-the-very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Thanks so much!!
xo Deb
I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award
Thank you SO much!!
xo Deb
Thanks for following, you’ve got a great blog here!
Thanks! Yours too! Happy holidays!! 🙂
xo Deb
Last week I sent you a comment nominating you for the Beautiful Bloggers Award and the Reader Appreciation Award. A few of the comments went to the spam boxes of other nominees, so I hope you received yours! In any case, I love what you’re doing and am looking very forward to more in 2013! All my best for the holidays! http://becomingmadame.wordpress.com/appreciation/
I didn’t receive it, but thank you so very much!! Happy Holidays and have a wonderful New Year!!
For you, just under the wire: http://onetrackmuse.com/2012/12/31/one-more-star-to-cap-the-year/
You are the best!! See you soon!!
xo Deb
You are welcome! Enjoy your New Year and see you soon.
Hi Deborah!
I love reading your blog and have nominated you for the Blog of the Year 2012 award! For rules/info, visit: http://foodflavorfascination.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/blog-of-the-year-2012-award-☆2/
It’s not mandatory, so you can participate if you would like and pass it on. 🙂
Thanks so much!!
xo Deb
Congratulations! You’ve been nominated for the Shine-On Award! Thanks for helping our precious bees! http://misbehavedwoman.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/shine-on/
Thank you SO much!!
Deb
🙂
Thank you for being a beekeeper. The majority of our species has NO idea how dependent we are on this wee colorful one. I have a deep respect for every small apiary. Blessed be!
Congratulations! It’s raining awards! Pick up your award here at http://misbehavedwoman.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/raining-awards-in-the-desert/
I know I’ve already awarded you once, but the work you do and information you share is SO important that I couldn’t pass up a chance to say, “Thanks again!”
Nice reading about you
Thanks for visiting my blog. Be in touch. Browse through the category sections,
I feel you may find something of your interest.
Hi Deborah!
I just found your blog yesterday and love it! I live in E. Walnut HIlls and plan to start 2 hives this year as a beginner. I’ve been reading Michael Bush’s website and think I’ll try the organic way too! Since you’re an attorney, is there any advice as to keeping them in such a small yard as far as regulations and the like here in Cincinnati? We just bought a house last summer on Burdett Ave, I work in Mason, OH at an IT co. My other half runs our restaurant, the Parkside Cafe. Thank you again for the blog, I’m sure I will get some great tips right from my own neighborhood here!
Glad to have you as a fellow Queen City Beekeeper!
To answer your question, there aren’t any regulations prohibiting beekeeping within the city limits, but that’s different than keeping your neighbors happy.
I’m lucky that, despite the fact my neighbors fight about everything from snow removal to dog poop, they are cool about the bees. I’ll bet your neighbors will be cool too.
Why don’t you email me at ddelong@ddlconsulting.com so we can chat some more. 🙂
Deb
Thank you! I will do that 🙂
Hello Deb. Nice of you to drop by my blog. I did have one post on beekeeping. I think it was sometime last year. I too love to garden. But I am not a beekeeper. I do admire beekeepers.
I hope we’ll cross paths along the cyber-highway again!
[…] Deborah DeLong – English gardener, beekeeper, and blog-keeper of Romancing the Bee surprised me yesterday with a post entitled "Amazing Music!" which included my most recently shared video on You Tube. Check out her site which includes recipes using honey, gardening tips, and posts covering cool topics like Girl History Month. Deborah is also in the middle of a "Countdown to Spring" giveaway of her cookbook "Cooking with Honey", so this is the perfect time to join her on Facebook! […]
Hi! Loove your blog, have been thinking of setting my own beehive in the front garden fr a while now.. Don’t now how feasible it is.. But will deffinitely give it a shot soon 😉 I have nominated you for Very Inspiring Blogger Award, hope you don’t mind.. I think it’s a nice way of spreading the blogging love.. Hope you are well! xx
Thank you for stopping by simplydaisies. Come back anytime! You are a very inspiring woman.
Thanks!
xo Deb
This blog is truly lovely. As a new beekeeper, I’m sure I’ll get inspired here. I look forward wo reading more.
You’ve made my day!!
Namaste…thank you so much for visiting and following my blog 🙂 I look forward to enjoying yours too ~ Lakshmi x
Hey Deborah! I nominated you for a Tag! You’re it. Award here: http://notedinnashville.com/2013/04/24/awards-day/ If you already have this one, or you’re not accepting awards at this time, no worries. I’ll still be your blogging buddy. 🙂
A belated thank you!!
I was on LinkedIn and found this information about a pollinator conference that I thought would interest you. Here is the link:
http://news.psu.edu/story/275203/2013/04/29/public-events/penn-state-host-international-conference-pollinator-health
This looks great! Thanks so much for forwarding!!
Thanks for the follow!! We used to live in Cincinnati. Hope you saw our beekeeping video 🙂
I did see your video and it was awesome!!
Deb great blog. I see you just found my own blog where I combine organic gardening with beekeeping. I like what your doing here. Some good stuff.
Yes, and I like it a lot!! Perhaps we can get inspiration from each other!!
Deb
Beautiful Blog
friendly Greeting
Thank you and hello to you as well!
Deb
Thanks for liking my post! And your name’s Deborah! Amazing!
Blessings, Josh
Thanks for the like – continuously amazed at the benefits to honey…looking forward to checking out your blog some more!
You are very welcome!!
Hi, we’re from Warsaw Kentucky, just about an hour or so south of you. We started beekeeping about 3 years ago, and gardening, and taking our products to farmer’s markets. Some of our products are baked goods that I’ve whipped up in the kitchen using our honey. It’s amazing, the response. Can’t keep up with the demand. (Best problem to have!) I was so excited to see your blog. I simply love honey and cooking with honey. Found your site looking for Honey cookbooks on Amazon. Thank you for your blog and your cookbook. They look fabulous! I’m looking forward to reading more.
Lori & Keith from Crigger Farm (on facebook)
Hi Deborah, We agree that urban beekeepers with beautiful gardens need beautiful beehives so we have started a business making copper covers that we hope you will love. Your blog contributes so much to this concept. Thanks, nansy
[…] found this recipe over at Debra DeLong‘s website. We got into a lengthy comment discussion about the “Minnesota-ness” of […]
[…] love that Deborah DeLong, keeper of the Romancing the Bee blog, often connects gardening and beekeeping with darker, but […]
[…] 5. Deborah from Romancing the Bee […]
Sunday fun Deborah 🙂 You’ve been nominated for the Liebster award! http://myown2sense.wordpress.com/ Have a wonderful week!
amazing woman, thank you for sharing your work so intriguing…