Five years ago we planted 20 hazel saplings, the idea being to coppice several every year to provide useful (straight) sticks for the garden and to encourage new growth. They are growing well, and this year's harvest can be seen in the photos. Products include runner bean poles, pea sticks and pegs for tying down netting. Coppicing the hazel (a clean cut just above ground level) helps make the hazel grow much straighter poles. In the veg garden the rhubarb is starting to grow well, and for the first time we have forced some.
On Sunday we inspected the bees and found some queen cells; they were capped which means a swarm is imminent. There are various options including doing nothing but that would mean you are likely to lose half of the bees when the old queen flies off with them. Another option is an artificial swarm, and after midnight discussions with Sarah, that's what I tried today. With one slight modification! We are unable to spot our Queen (v hard in 50 000+ bees when she is not marked) so rather than move the old queen as you are supposed I moved the queen cells. Before the move ( empty WBC on left, full colony in National on right):- I placed a new brood box to the right of the old colony, then smoked the old colony like mad hoping to drive the old queen down to the bottom of the hive. Then took the super off the old colony and placed it to one side. Then took the half brood box (containing the queen cells) and put it on top of the new brood box to the right. Put its roof on. ...
...are still firmly encamped here at Farlands. As I write this I am having a conversation with an electrician who has just taken up a floorboard of my office. To distract me from him distracting me I can look out of my (1st floor) window directly at a NW electricity operative re-attaching the electricity cable across the gable end of our house. Through the (remaining) floorboards, I can hear the other electrician hammering (should electricians be hammering?) in our new (mostly) kitchen and the floor chap in the gym (don't call it a utility room or I'll dedicate a whole blog to its nomenclature). And that's not even a mention of the painter... We are making progress, but to quote our neighbour "why does everyone make a big job out of a small job?"!. Progress this week has included the kitchen reaching finishing stages...after 3 weeks of washing up in the bath and cooking with microwave and freezer, I am beginning to run out of inspiration. Last night I did no...
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