The Wild Bee Co.

03/09/2025

ONE LAST SPOT – Beeswax Candle Workshop
This Saturday One final space has opened up for my Beeswax Candle Making Workshop this Saturday!

Step into the world of BEESWAX CANDLESTICK making, where you’ll not only craft exquisite, eco-friendly candles but also unlock the secrets of beeswax alchemy and delve into the art, science and folklore behind these enchanting creations. A truly unique day.

You’ll learn how to work with beautiful natural, golden beeswax, dipping, rolling, shaping, pouring, marbling and colouring and you get to take home your stack of candle creations (plus some extra goodies) Perfect for anyone craving some grounding creative time.

And there will be tea and cake and a big handful of CANDLES to take home. Last minute but I would genuinely love if you could join!

And here is a voucher for 5% off - WILDBEE5 (can only be used on our workshops!)

12/08/2025

The Art of Beeswax Candle Making – WORKSHOP🕯

Last weekend, my studio was buzzing! With creativity, warmth and the delicious scent of beeswax. Tables were set, heat guns ready, hotplates fired up, and golden blocks of rendered beeswax waiting to be transformed. Guests were welcomed with a steaming cup of honey chai and the studio felt alive with anticipation.

After months of planning, gathering equipment, and curating every little detail, I finally opened the doors to a full and happy class. From the first to the final dip, the day overflowed with curiosity, creativity and connection. It was magical to watch everyones unique interpretations come to life, every candle carried a piece of its maker’s personality!

But this workshop isn’t just about making candles. We delved into the inner workings of a hive, explored ancient folklore and traditions, and crafted with intention and gratitude for the bees.
The feedback was heartwarming, I left the day feeling so grateful - to the bees, to my amazing assistant Sam, and to everyone who came and immersed themselves in this craft.

You won’t find another beeswax candle making workshop quite like this one! Upcoming dates are already filling up. I’d love to welcome more of our lovely local community, come create something meaningful, infused with the magic of the bees and leave with A LOT of candles!

📅 Upcoming Workshops → SEPTEMBER 6th 2025
https://www.thewildbee.co.uk/pages/workshops
🍰 Always includes tea, cake and snacks (because no chandler leaves hungry!)

27/07/2025

16/07/2025

When a crow feels sick… it visits an anthill.

Sounds strange? It’s actually one of nature’s most fascinating healing rituals.

When a crow senses it’s unwell, it will intentionally find an anthill, spread its wings wide, and remain completely still—waiting for the ants to crawl into its feathers.

Why?
Because ants release formic acid—a natural antiseptic that kills bacteria, fungi, and parasites hiding in the bird’s feathers.
This behavior is called “anting”, and it’s been observed not just in crows, but in many bird species.

No medicine.
No vet.
Just pure instinct and nature’s built-in pharmacy.
A brilliant reminder that the natural world is full of intelligent, self-healing systems…

We just need to stop and notice.

15/07/2025

12/07/2025

🌳🐝 TREES FOR BEES 🐝🌳
🌸🌿💚 Buzzing with beauty, colour, and LIFE! 💚🌿🌸

This gorgeous image was just too beautiful not to share — even though it features trees native to North America 🌎🌳🐝. But if you're here in the UK and wondering what you can plant to support our beloved bees, here are some brilliant homegrown choices:
🌿 Lime (Linden) Trees – their sweet-scented flowers are a bee magnet in summer.
🌸 Rowan (Mountain Ash) – with spring blossoms and autumn berries, they support both pollinators and birds.
🌳 Hawthorn (May Tree) – one of the best native species for supporting hundreds of insects.
💛 Crab Apple Trees – gorgeous blossom and a key source of early nectar.
💜 Willow Trees – especially vital in early spring when bees are just waking up.
🌺 Field Maple – a smaller, native tree that supports bees and autumn colour too!

Every tree planted is a legacy of hope — for bees, for biodiversity, and for the generations to come. 🐝🌿🌼

We absolutely adore this stunning visual guide to some of the most bee-friendly trees across North America 🍁🌼🌲 — and we just had to share it with you! 🐝💛 Whether it’s the blossom of the Southern Crabapple, the glow of the Tulip Tree, or the pink flush of Flowering Dogwood, these trees aren’t just a feast for the eyes… they’re a vital banquet for our pollinators too. 🌸🍯

At Herbs on the Hill, we’ve always said:
🌿✨ What nourishes nature also heals us. ✨🌿

From flower to forest, scent to soul… so many of the oils we use in aromatherapy are the very essence of these botanical allies. 🌼💧 For example:
💛 Tulip Tree’s cousin Magnolia features in deep grounding oils.
🍁 Maple isn’t distilled, but its environment supports the lifecycle of herbs and flowers we do use — like lavender, rose, and geranium.
🌸 Crabapple blossoms echo the mood-lifting beauty of neroli, orange blossom, and rose oils — beloved in emotional healing blends.

Every tree, every leaf, every bloom plays its part in the greater healing harmony 🌍💫
And bees? 🐝 They’re the golden thread that weaves it all together. Without them, no blossoms. No fruit. No oils. No magic.

Let’s plant. Let’s protect. Let’s pollinate 💚🌍

And if you’re curious how the natural world inspires our soothing, grounding, beautifully blended aromatherapy... come explore at herbsonthehill.shop 🌿🛍️💖

🌟 Big thanks to Pollinator Partnership and artist Natalie McGuire for this breathtaking poster. Find more at 👉 www.pollinator.org 🌟

🦋🌳🐝🌸🌿💚🌼🍃🌲🌺🧡

06/07/2025

“Real Honey Is Not Cheap and Cheap Honey Is Not Real” - You may have seen this slogan doing the rounds lately. A catchy phrase… but seriously flawed.

As a beekeeper, I urge you - PLEASE STOP SHARING IT. (although feel free to share my modified versions!)

At first glance, it feels empowering…maybe even supportive of small-scale beekeepers. But when you scratch beneath the surface, this statement is reductive, misleading, simplistic, perpetuates capitalism and can be detrimental to the GLOBAL beekeeping farming community.

It suggests one thing: that PRICE = AUTHENTICITY
Ultimately it UNDERVALUES honey because you’re asking the consumer to only look at the price to make an informed decision on what determines authentic honey.

It’s not that simple - let me explain…

Truth #1: Price ≠ Authenticity
The price of honey is not indicative of its authenticity. Never judge a jar of locally produced honey solely by its price tag.

It reduces it down to one lazy metric: PRICE.
The reality is: AUTHENTICITY IS ROOTED IN TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCESS, not price.
It’s about where and how the bees are kept, what flowers they forage on, whether the honey is unheated, unpasteurised, unblended, free from syrups and additives, and traceable to a real beekeeper with ethical values.

A real-life example: a few weeks ago, shared a beautiful photo of a beekeeper selling their jars for £4. The comment section was quick to call it “cheap.” From a business standpoint, I agree — £4 barely covers the cost of the jar and work involved. But it’s up to that beekeeper what they choose to charge. Maybe they’re a hobbyist. Maybe they’re just trying to contribute something beautiful to their community. Maybe they simply don’t want profit to be the goal. This slogan oversimplifies and discredits small-scale producers and silences the many reasons someone might price their honey.

Truth #2: Honey is Massively Undervalued

Truth #3: Expensive Honey Can Still Be Fake

Truth #4: The Slogan Perpetuates Capitalism & Privilege. Truthfully speaking, this slogan annoyed me on this point alone.

FULL COMPREHENSIVE version on my latest blog - follow linky link in bio//oo. Actually read it.

22/06/2025

🐝Proper Local Honey 🍯 – DORKING **FREE DELIVERY**
I’m so excited to introduce my small-batch local honey, made with love by me and the bees right here in Dorking, Surrey.
Everything - from the beekeeping to the label – has been done by me, by hand, with purpose. The label design featuring the cockerel is a quiet nod to Dorking’s history and heritage.

If you're based in DORKING or MOLE VALLEY, I’m happy to hand-DELIVER FOR FREE - I’ll refund the shipping for local orders. You’re also welcome to swing by my hidden workshop just off Curtis Road to pick one up and have a chat! Just drop me a quick message first so I can be sure to be there. Dorking + Mole Valley ONLY!

Sunshine in a jar - harvested from the wildflower meadows and hedgerows across Dorking. A true taste of the local landscape in bloom. Unpasteurised, unheated, unblended, ensuring each jar retains its natural, magical properties.

Thanks for supporting this small, local project. I genuinely appreciate it. Whether you buy a jar, share this post, or just tell a friend – it all helps! Really appreciate any feedback or thoughts too. Learn more on this link:
https://www.thewildbee.co.uk/collections/honey/products/dorking-honey

13/03/2025

Wildflowers turn abandoned fields into wondrous dreamlands. They are independent, resilient plants that bring beauty to the mundane - from cracks in the pavement to eroding walls and drainpipes.

A wildflower is not a w**d. She is a selfless beauty with the power to heal and knowledge to share. She is a powerful ally of Mama Earth. She sows her seeds freely, carrying the heritage of the blooms before her. She is a free-spirit. She is quietly resilient. She encapsulates the strong willed women I know - my Mother, Grandmother, Aunties, sisters and best friends.
Like wildflowers we must allow ourselves to flourish and grow in all the unlikely places people never thought we could.

To learn more about the benefits of planting wildflowers and creating a space for them to bloom, see my latest blog post 💛

Share the love and share the knowledge and share this post :)
Graphic by me 😘

https://www.thewildbee.co.uk/blogs/the-sanctuary/the-benefits-of-planting-wildflowers