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Thread: Brilliant Bees!

  1. #1
    Tramp Claire Cawley's Avatar
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    Brilliant Bees!

    I've written a short blog post on my intentions to fill my allotment with brilliant bees!

    Whilst the main aim of having an allotment (for me) is to grow more vegetables than I could possibly squeeze into my tiny little garden,... Read the full post here

    I can't wait for warmer weather now, sitting in front of the fire is so last month! (Drifts off into a daydream about pottering on the allotment, the sun on my back, bees buzzing round the lavender....)
    Thanks for taking the time to look!

  2. #2
    One with Nature
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    hello,
    I've got a honey bee hive in the cavity of my home wall under the window. There's no activity yet but soon as it warms the bees return & great to watch them go to & fro the very small hole next to the window frame. I've had a bee expert out from the environmental health to view it. I'm to receive new windows from the window replacement programme in the area & I've delayed such for now until I can be assured the bees won't be disturbed or harmed & access is provided to the hive. They were here long before me & as long as I can recall have used the same access area to the hive. A small plot of land I own, I'm planning to plant more wild flower & poppy seeds this year to attract more insect life & not forgetting the bees to what is already planted & thriving in the area. I had details from a nationwide wild flower seed supplier last year who offered free wild flower & poppy seeds if I gave them a mention. Deffo I can't wait either for the warmer weather.
    Regards
    David

  3. #3
    Woodsman Pootle's Avatar
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    Another nice read, thank you.
    It will be good to see what bee species you get across the season.

  4. #4
    Tramp Claire Cawley's Avatar
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    Hi David,
    I thoroughly admire your view of 'they were here long before me'! Last year, we had some free wild flower seeds from Kew Gardens (through a 'big lottery fund' project - www.growwilduk.com) which had little DIY bee houses in aswell as packs of native wild flower seeds and info. I don't know if they are giving them away free again this year, maybe worth a look!

  5. #5
    Tramp Claire Cawley's Avatar
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    Thank you for looking Pootle! I'm pretty new to blogging and the allotment so will hopefully get better at both as the year goes on!

  6. #6
    Moderator jus_young's Avatar
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    We always seem to end up with a few hives in the garden. Upturned buckets, paving slabs laying haphazardly under the shed and in the garden wall, all have had their visitors and as soon as I know they are there that area gets left well alone. This year we have bought some boxes of wild flower seeds and these are to replace the normally formal planted areas in the garden.

  7. #7
    Tramp Claire Cawley's Avatar
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    That's interesting that you get 'unintentional' hives, Justin. Maybe some strategically placed items near our allotment plot will encourage the bees to stick around for a while...

  8. #8
    Wanderer TarHeelBrit's Avatar
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    We have an old busted bird house in the back garden left from the previous people. It's one of those has has the stupid nesting box right above the food table. Well I was going to get rid of it until I realised the bees paying close attenetion to the bird house weren't just dropping by... they were living in the bird house so I left it. It's nice in summer watching them flit from flower to flower it seems they love my lavender and chives the most.

    **EDIT**

    I just started reading your blog (very nice by the way) I had to come back and say YAY to claire for being pesticide free....Me too. My garden and shed is a pesticide free zone. Although it is hard especially when the Aphids get to my roses. My neighbour swears by Alliums around his roses as a natural deterrent, might have to try that this year..
    Last edited by TarHeelBrit; 09-03-2016 at 03:03 AM.
    Sent via wood pigeon from the Devon woods.

  9. #9
    Tramp Claire Cawley's Avatar
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    TarHeelBrit - Thank you so much! I must admit that I did get tempted by some 'organic' slug pellets a few years ago as pretty much everything in our garden gets destroyed by slugs. This was only for use around flowers, but I think I only used once, then it went to the back of the cupboard until Ashley found it and told me off! Once we had the chickens, there was no way I was going to put it down. Haven't heard about the alliums for deterring aphids. I have always used a very weak soapy solution (using a biodegradable soap) to squirt the aphids with on non-edible plants which seems to do the trick. I don't think the soap would do any damage to the garden and it doesn't seem to affect the plants themselves. But prevention is better than cure!

  10. #10
    Wanderer TarHeelBrit's Avatar
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    Hi Claire, For slugs and snails I use a barrier of lightly crushed eggshells and used coffee grounds round my plants 99% of the time that keeps the little buggers off. Plus at the end of the season you can till it in and it breaks down to fertilise the soil. There nothing sadder that seeing you Brassicas get devoured by the slimy eating machines.

    I used to use an bio soap to deter aphids until I went back for a quick look and saw what for me was a sad sight. The soap had killed the aphids but also the lacewings and ladybirds...poor little guys. Now I try to plant predator attracting plants (Chives, Fennel, Marigolds, Coriander, etc) in one corner of the garden and use a simple garden hose to wash the few off. Do you plant Tomatoes? have whitefly on them? plants some Marigolds as companion plants. I don't know what it is but there's something in Marigolds that whitefly hate.

    I bet you didn't get much gardening done today LOL I was going to give the grass a tipping off as it's getting long but when your mower is blown down the drive by the wind it's maybe a bit windy out.

    All the best,
    Malc.

    **EDIT**
    Forgot to mention. As I said my neighbour swears by Alliums but I've never tried it...might have to give it a go this year.
    Last edited by TarHeelBrit; 09-03-2016 at 03:34 PM.
    Sent via wood pigeon from the Devon woods.

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