Woman and dog in the orchard

Spring Wonder

It never fails to amaze me—April in Naramata. Sunshine, hail, and rainbows all in one day. The indomitable spirit of spring is on full display: blossoms burst open, green shoots stretch skyward, robins return, and the southern slopes glow yellow with balsamroot. It’s a season full of awe. And energy. And wonder.

Bees and Blossoms

Bee and blossoms
My friend Nicole (of Nichol Vineyard fame—killer Syrah, by the way) and I recently attended a workshop on creating pollination zones and planting hedgerows on farms. It was humbling. Turns out, there’s a whole world I barely knew existed.

Did you know the Okanagan is home to over 40% of Canada’s bee species? And it’s not just bees—pollinators come in all shapes and sizes: butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds. From a farming perspective, fostering these zones supports more than just pollination—it encourages beneficial insects, birds, and a more balanced ecosystem overall.

While many of our crops are self-pollinating, there’s no denying it: everything thrives when the pollinators show up in greater numbers.

So this year’s wonder becomes this year’s work—we’re expanding our pollination zones. If you’re curious too, crack a bottle of Cherry Wine 2023 (we’re calling it lights-out—easily one of our best vintages ever), and take a wander through the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship site. It’ll inspire you. It certainly did us.