Bees, if you please

So, now back to gardening. Although not everyone is prepared for backyard bee-keeping, rest assured it's simpler than it might seem & stings are (although not uncommon) rarer than expected & something to be proud of. Some of us haven't even been stung...

The benefits of keeping bees are countless & possibly unknown, not unlike breastmilk for infants, bees are an essential part of life that fill rolls we don't even know exist. Their effects on our own garden last year were innumerable. It's doubtful there was one blossom that remained un-pollinated or one bloom left untouched. As a result we were blessed with LOADS of produce from apples & tomatoes to carrots & hot peppers, much of which we canned & preserved in a myriad of ways.

BEWARE: To begin bee-keeping is to unleash an obsession-atleast for most. It is a hobby started to get some free honey and enjoy a low-maintence livestoc
k. It becomes a passion. We are now familiar with MANY sides of bee-keeping, from maintaining a healthy & organic hive to building bodies & nucs, feeding, using products, catching swarms and beyond.

Here are the hive & nuc Drew & Lane built.
Naomi is helping him paint them traditional white.

It's important to note what a learning tool beekeeping is. Naomi is somewhat of an expert & will get her own mini beekeeper helmet this year. There are great books to encourage children, even if you don't have your own hives. This is one of our faves. And for adults, this is the best.

If you do wish to keep bees now is the time to begin preparation.

First--reserve a hive by ordering now. Come April, most bees will be spoken for. There are local places to go pic up your own bees (email for more details) and there are many mail-order options as well.

Second--order, build, get a hive! You'll need (most likely) 2 hive bodys, 2 supers (where honey is collected) a bottom board and a place to keep them. Bee-hive kits are available & is how we purchased our first 2 hives--grea t for beginners. Some strategy is needed as to where bees are placed, but avoid direct sunlight in the summer and extreme shadow in the winter.

There is so much to learn, but the best way is to go for it. You won't know it all & everyone has different concepts--it's an art form!
Join the Guilford Beekeepers Forum for lively discussion. It's a terrific resource! Also, consider the local Master Beekeepers program.

Enter Lebo & her dimply bum

Naomi has been blessed with a new arrival, Lebo, from her Savta (paternal grandma). Savta is a top-notch sewer & MADE this beautiful Waldorf style Doll that Naomi loves. She goes everywhere with her, from restaurants & dance class, to memorial services & the grocery store, & of course--to sleep. Having had loads of practice making dolls, Savta is an artist & not only sculpted adorably simple facial features, but a dimply bum & newborn belly button. Don't forget the "cloth" diapers (extras on the way). Lebo has been the perfect remedy for one big sister who wants desparately to put her newly learned nurturing skills to work.

Her name-- Lebo
(derivative of "LeeLee"--nickname for little sister)
Her bottom--masterfully dimpled
Her cheeks--"naturally" pink
Her skin--0rganic cotton
Her size--perfectly preemie
Her Hair--comb-able mohair

**'Savta' will take orders soon as she LOVES making these loved babes, and we're working on a "party" in which mums can come & create the perfect doll for their own child. If you're interested, let me know!

Another minute.

What I want to say is this:

The above picture will probably change seasonally, so anytime progress is made in our garden I'll change that pic, along with adding a few so you can SEE what's going down--the Grim Way.

So, to start. We have a pile of mulch out front from a local mulch yard* (owners are terrific). We are planning to use this to fix some of our "aesthetic" landscaping problems out front, as it has been neglected. We've resolved ourselves to the notion that the average plant will not survive in a place so well neglected, so we'll mulch & add compost to repair the years of damage caused by our uncaring-ness.

I mention this to say that we will most likely plant more of the hardier things that so far HAVE managed to survive. I've used a plural here, when really what I mean is Thyme. We will plant more thyme out front. AND we will be also mulching our existing garden beds, which you can see in the above picture are "resting" & composting things like corn-starch packing peanuts & orange rinds. We LOVE the compost method of gardening, which means little weeding and nutritious & moist soil for our produce.

If you don't have beds already, I'll post more info on that later. We're adding more beds this year, they'll come even closer to our patio which will make our "kitchen garden" even more accessible--a key to making gardening fun.

Another note before the season really begins...first time beds need preparation. You can certainly just till up a spot, but this will generally require more weeding & close attention during the hottest months-the time you LEAST want to be outdoors.

So, goal #1:
Preparing for beds.
*Acquire untreated lumbers deep & long enough to construct your beds out of.
*Make certain you pay attention to the path of the sun & that this spot will receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day)
*Measure off the sections of your lawn you want to use. (use steaks to mark)
*Remember to actually measure your spots & don't make them so big you can't reach the middle parts easily.

If you're building raised beds, tilling is not necessary, but killing the grass is a great idea. To do this WITHOUT the use of herbicides is easy. Gather up black & white newspaper and spread it out many sheets thick on the garden area you've selected. Soak this newspaper with the hose & leave it until you're ready to pile on your compost/mulch/etc. This is a terrific method of smothering out the unwanted grass that could grow back up through your prepared beds.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

*mulch is also available at Guilford County Dump for $20/ton, but a truck or something is necessary. They will deliver at a cost. For more info check out page 9


P.S. If you Would like to reserve a spot at Greensboro's 1st Community Garden located in historic Glenwood Neighborhood--or like to get involved--email me for a registration form & more info.

Baby related project of the week

a while later...

Alright, so having an infant has made "alone time" a thing of the past. But, I wanted to drop in briefly to explain my goals so that I can hold myself accountable!

a. I wanted to post the widget on the left (Garden Girl E-Zine), because if I do I'll get some sweet heirloom seeds for free!

b. These seeds will come in handy for the community garden that we're helping with. Right now I'm trying to get the website running, which is quite a chore for someone so unfamiliar with web-making software (shh. don't tell)

c. I'm going to start posting the preps & planting we do this year so anyone who wants can follow our lead, offer assistance, etc. Although there are thousands of books that will help, it's sometimes easier to follow a leader and stray from that in ways you feel comfortable. Our climate is specific and perhaps I can help you all figure this out. I'll include Bee info too...

d. I'm changing the picture so that you all will know, despite bone-chilling temperatures, now is the time to start planning your spring garden--even dropping some seeds in the ground (I'll talk about which ones next time).