Author Biography

Erwin Seidemann
Austria's first certified organic flower gardener, gardening guru, plant whisperer, long-time radio gardener for public television, visionary and conservationist by deep conviction, in whose veins flows the green blood of several generations of gardeners. Wherever possible, he protects the plants growing on his farm, which is located between Völs and Kematen, west of Innsbruck (Austria), with beneficial insects. With a careful hand, he only intervenes with sprays made mainly from plant ingredients from his witch's kitchen permeated with the scent of garlic and herbs, where it is unavoidably necessary. For him, bee-friendly is synonymous with people-friendly, and both are his fundamental concerns.

Gerda Walton
is the energetic pen and sensitive photographer of the trio that has come together to create this book, which is a wake-up call to action against the progressive destruction of nature on our globe. As a tour guide for garden tours, she has traveled to more than 700 famous gardens and green miracles of this earth and introduced them to nature enthusiasts, but also registered with deep concern the vulnerability of our earth and the worldwide dwindling of bees, bumblebees and butterflies. Her gardening books, countless professional articles published in renowned gardening magazines and her glosses written with great humor have made her famous far beyond Tyrol. "The strongest hand is on your own arm" is her motto, with which, despite her age, she has energetically transformed her own small garden in Aldrans near Innsbruck into a habitat for insects and with which she would like to inspire people to do the same.

Alexander Würtenberger
As a trained forester he has worked as a dedicated environmental consultant in Tyrol, Austria, for 33 years. He found his love for bees 20 years ago through his father-in-law, which he has long integrated into his own family life as an enthusiastic beekeeper. Passing on his knowledge of the miraculous bee to the next generation is one of his main concerns. He is the dedicated driving force behind this book, which aims to show how people can create much-needed oases for bees and other insects in a simple way. His beehives are located in the beautiful natural and cultural landscape of the rear Zillertal in Austria.