Category Archives: Smallholding

Memory Lane, 25th February 2023: Anyone need a leek?

Posted on April 27, 2024 by james

There’s not a great deal in the garden that’s edible now, but I seem to be doing pretty well with leeks. I’ve not had much success with them until I tried Charles Dowding’s sowing method (four seeds to a cell … Continue reading →

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First bee colony moved

Posted on April 27, 2024 by james

Last night I moved the first colony of bees from the “leak” site to home — only two miles, but I’m hoping it will be far enough. It turned out to be an easy enough job. The under-floor entrance closes … Continue reading →

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More progress with beehive roofs

Posted on April 27, 2024 by james

I can’t say that it was pleasant working outdoors, not even in the relative shelter of the workshop, today. I had to move the car mid-morning and even then it was telling me that the outside temperature was only 5°C. … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 23rd February 2023: Winter salads are still going

Posted on April 25, 2024 by james

Straight from the polytunnel. Not quite as much as we’d like perhaps, but it’s just enough for three people and it’s lovely to be eating something so fresh and colourful at this time of the year.

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Second hive roof “repair”

Posted on April 25, 2024 by james

Despite the “excitement” of the morning, I was able to get a little done in the workshop today, planing down the timber for the sides of another roof, building it and fitting the internal battens. Didn’t quite get as far … Continue reading →

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Move, bees! Move!

Posted on April 25, 2024 by james

I received a message this morning that the hives in one apiary site were in the way of the water company, who needed to get access so they could dig a large hole in an attempt to find out why … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 14th February 2023: My secret cardboard stash

Posted on April 24, 2024 by james

No secret any more, I guess 😀 Over the Winter I’ve been collecting all our cardboard boxes (no way are the recyclers getting their hands on these!) so I can make more no dig beds this year. I’m really not … Continue reading →

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Beehive dead-out collection

Posted on April 24, 2024 by james

I collected the kit from my dead-out tree colony this afternoon. As I lifted the roof off its sides fell off. It all felt a bit Laurel and Hardy 😀 I’d used some fairly tired hive parts though as the … Continue reading →

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First beehive roof repair finished

Posted on April 24, 2024 by james

Not really a repair, more a complete rebuild given that the metal cover and the sheet of plywood underneath it were the only things that were worth keeping, but this morning I finished gluing/nailing it all together so now there’s … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 14th February 2023: Bees love the Sun

Posted on April 23, 2024 by james

It may only be scraping 5°C outdoors, but the Sun is shining and bees are on the move, foraging for water in the condensation on the tank we use to catch rain from the roof of my father-in-law’s greenhouse. And … Continue reading →

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