The bees have been busy. I can see a lot of activity at the entrance, lots of flying in and out. Perhaps it was the weather – coldish, gray – that kept them inside, or the fact that they first needed to draw out more comb before going out to get stuff to put in …
Monthly Archives: May 2010
Mushrooms and Asparagus
Amie is sick (a cold, again) and home from preschool. She’s really bummed about it because these are the last weeks of school, and after Summer she’ll be going to a new one. Luckily it is sunny and warm again, today, so we spent a lot of time outside. She is great about letting me …
$600 Movable Hoop House: Details, Pictures and Cost Analysis
Background Inspired by Eliot Coleman’s Winter Harvest, we built our first hoop house in December 2009. We got it in place right in time for the first winter storm. It was made of pvc pipes and 6 mil landscape plastic. The only “specialized” thing about it was the clamps we used to clip the plastic …
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Found Queen and Eggs
I don’t think it froze last night, but it might this night, so all the plants that were moved inside will stay inside till tomorrow. It not being as cold and windy as predicted, I did a hive inspection at 11 am. Again there was very little activity outside the hive, but inside it was …
Frost!
Woah, I can’t believe it. After days of 70-80 F weather, the temperature is plummeting, down down down, to 31 F. Tomorrow will be blustery and chilly, and that night will again see temps of 31 F. So every plant that could be moved was moved out of the garden and the screened-in porch, into …
I Need a Holiday
Hoop house 3.0 Here’s another done – to do list. Over the last couple of days I planted: 4 hazels 1 cherry tree 3 kiwi vines (in pots) 2 tea plants (in pots) 2 paw paw seedlings (in pots) 25 strawberries crowns 16 asparagus crowns 4 red currants 4 white currants 4 red gooseberry 4 …
Inside the Box: First Hive Inspection
I did my first hive inspection this morning at 9:30 am. There wasn’t much activity outside, but the inside of the hive was abuzz. When I lifted the outer cover, the inner cover came up with it – it was stuck – immediately exposing the comb that the bees were building to fill up the …
Of the Birds and the Bees
I’ve been watching the hive and there is not too much going that I can see: small scouting parties, hive entrance defense (photo), and the removal of dead bees. All the action is within (or so I hope). Because my hive is new and the frames have only foundation on them, the bees should be …
Of Bolted Kale, Winter Spinach, and Acorns
Acorns/Oaks pulled from ONE (1) veg bed Harvest of overwintered spinach Amie and the bolted kale
Bees!
This morning a friend and I drove to the supplier’s place to pick up our packages of 10.000 bees (3 lbs) with a marked Italian Queen. Driving back with a couple of loose bees in the car was no problem: they stuck with their caged compatriots, maybe listening in while we talked doom :) Installing …