Today a tree above our garden was chosen as a temporary home for a new bee swarm. I have never seen this happen before and it is amazing! I only wish we could have seen them come in for landing (the swarm is typically the size of a small car before condensing down to a tight ball - in our case, football sized). I have tried to get close enough for good pictures, but at this point I'd pretty much have to climb the tree.....which it is unlikely my husband will let me do while pregnant.
More delightful still is that the farm where we get our milk and eggs (and that whole Angus!) has hives (though they had lost a few of their colonies), so he is coming out in an hour to lop off the branch and transfer it to a hive which he will come back and pick up in the evening when the bees have settled. Right now the scout bees are busy looking for a permanent home, tonight they will all be resting.
For some reason this is all very exciting to me as bees are so critical to life on our planet as we know it. Additionally, helping my farmer track down new hives might ensure us a good supply of local raw honey =)
Here are some updated photos of our garden. It brings me so much joy to know that so many of our seeds we saved ourselves, or were given by friends. I am also excited to know that I can save seeds for everything at the end of the season and have next year's garden supplied as well as have gifts to pass on to our friends.
In other good garden news, everything is growing well, and we discovered some extra "starts" in our compost pile for potatoes and squash! (Potatoes are the large plants growing in the center and the squash are the little green sprouts filling the bottom left)
Plus, I have this adorable garden gnome that dances about between the garden paths.
Sometimes I can catch him for a minute or two.
Today a tree above our garden was chosen as a temporary home for a new bee swarm. I have never seen this happen before and it is amazing! I only wish we could have seen them come in for landing (the swarm is typically the size of a small car before condensing down to a tight ball - in our case, football sized). I have tried to get close enough for good pictures, but at this point I'd pretty much have to climb the tree.....which it is unlikely my husband will let me do while pregnant.
More delightful still is that the farm where we get our milk and eggs (and that whole Angus!) has hives (though they had lost a few of their colonies), so he is coming out in an hour to lop off the branch and transfer it to a hive which he will come back and pick up in the evening when the bees have settled. Right now the scout bees are busy looking for a permanent home, tonight they will all be resting.
For some reason this is all very exciting to me as bees are so critical to life on our planet as we know it. Additionally, helping my farmer track down new hives might ensure us a good supply of local raw honey =)
Here are some updated photos of our garden. It brings me so much joy to know that so many of our seeds we saved ourselves, or were given by friends. I am also excited to know that I can save seeds for everything at the end of the season and have next year's garden supplied as well as have gifts to pass on to our friends.
In other good garden news, everything is growing well, and we discovered some extra "starts" in our compost pile for potatoes and squash! (Potatoes are the large plants growing in the center and the squash are the little green sprouts filling the bottom left)
Plus, I have this adorable garden gnome that dances about between the garden paths.
Sometimes I can catch him for a minute or two.
7 comments:
Yay for beautiful Bees and Fantastic gardens! and their gnomes too...
maybe next year I'll be one of those "friends" who will get a seed or two:)
I sure hope so!
Raw honey, yes please. Almost as sweet as blondie baby boy. Who's probably not a baby any longer, huh.
Summer - More like a seed or 500! We had SO many tomato starts to cull through. I do hope that there is a garden in your future next year, but if not, I will at least put together some sort of window basket options =)
Leah - We eat raw honey every day, and nibble the not-so-baby-boy daily as well!
OMG Elliott is so freaking cute!
Swarming bees being saved by a bee keeper - been there a couple of times and understand your joy at saving them and helping the keeper. Good for you guys!
Your garden - great! Two green thumbs up.
And the garden gnome - magic in his little blue eyes!
Enjoy the living season.
Weird! We had bees swarm over our garden area this year too. It didn't feel like quite as much of a good omen, because it was the weekend we were planning to put the garden in. Our neighbors were able to capture the bees, though, and they promised us free honey in exchange - so all ended well! It must be the year of the swarming bees.
Jen - yeah, it's even worse in person. Kills me every day. I'm glad you guys will get some face time soon.
Cherie - We only wished we had a way to keep them ourselves. Honey from the backyard....doesn't get sweeter than that!
Abby - Amazing! I had never experienced anything like it - though we missed the actual swarming. I am so excited your neighbors had a way to keep them and that you might get honey from next door. Looking forward to seeing you tonight!
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