Mother’s Day 2018

This year, a bird decided to nest in our ivy under the pines. 5/20: 4 perfect little eggs. 5/26: Not a peep. When we pull back the ivy, the chicks are looking for a snack. Momma bird is definitely protecting the nest now. I know you’re going to ask: “what kind of bird is it?” …

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Swarm 2017

After the winter of 2016, when inspecting the original two hives, I had concluded: Hive 1 (the one I re-queened with an Italian) died and Hive 2 (the Carniolans) absconded. So in May 2017, when we noticed the swarm just above the old hives (in the pines), it gave me hope that at least one…

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Harvest 2017

2017 was a very dry summer, but having the water on automatic timers fueled the berries. Raspberry yield 5 gallons. Marionberry yield 2 gallons. Heirloom tomatoes…well, not so great: the plants grew ~ 15 feet tall, but low yield. Will need to figure out a better approach to tomatoes next year. 

Gift of Water!

I had no idea what it meant to have the gift of water….until 2017. It all started with our annual trip to Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park in early 2017. We ventured on our hike, northbound this time, and found several rain barrels around the lodge. So, when my mom sent me Home D$$…

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Feeding the bees – 2017

The gardens are optimized for beauty and the bees. Perennial herbs are starting to be my favorite to plant. In 2017, I figured out that oregano, thyme, and sage are both beautiful and hearty to our damp, low-sun environment. Of course, berries are our favorite.

Bees 2017

In 2017, the apiary grew to four hives, all carniolans. This year, the hives were moved and positioned in the sunniest part of the yard, south facing, and protected from the colder northern winds just beside the greenhouse. From the beginning, three of the four nucs were super-heathy and full of life.