From A to Bee(18)

Anyway, so the man mountain and I finished the job of cutting the willow. I have to say it is lovely to end up with some fantastic willow poles which I shall make use of this year. But it was also a reminder that the gardening year hasn't really started yet. This is where it all started to go wrong and I found it quite tough. I haven't had time to tidy anything up; last year's geraniums are still looking dead in their pots – I must remember to bring them in next year to overwinter; the grass is all a little bit uneven, wanting a cut and needing to be rolled flat once more. I can't tell you how sad it is to walk on waterlogged grass.



Then, while I was in Gatwick Airport this cold, damp, typical February morning milling around WH Smith, I looked in the garden magazine section and in amongst them all was the friendly face of Alan Titchmarsh advertising an exclusive magazine, The Gardener's Year. I had a quick thumb through it, looking at some lovely pictures and my good mood was restored. They had some appealing photos of what gardens will be looking like in just a month or so, plus step-by-step plans to reassure you that the waterlogged grass, messy-looking pots and weed-filled beds are all normal, and instructions for what you should do about them. I felt the day had taken an abrupt turn for the better, knowing that it wouldn't be too long until the daffodils started to open, and after them the tulips, and after them God only knows.



If spring is coming, it must mean the bees will be too. It's getting closer – but I must now work out where to get my bees from.





FEBRUARY 22





I feel a little strange: I have just ordered my first hive. It feels a little bit unreal, perhaps because it was so simple. I had a good look around and felt from the information and pictures supplied by Nicholas at Peak-hives.co.uk that they were the best people to go with. I got onto the website, bish, bash, bosh, one hive ordered, which will make its way down here to Surrey from the foothills of the Peak District.



What a moment.



I decided, in the end, to opt for the slightly cheaper hive using red deal instead of the preferred cedar wood. I suppose the only real difference, aside from the price, is weight (deal being a little heavier I think) and the fact that cedar probably looks a little bit nicer with far fewer knots in the wood, which despite a few coats of paint will still show through.



So I now have to go and buy the frames to go inside the hive and then, hey presto, my first hive will be born! Whoopee!



Something else quite bizarre happened to me today. One of my Twitter contacts sent me a direct message about my question about which hive to get. @conchdraig, or Trevor as he is known in the real world, told me rather randomly to watch out for bears, deer, racoons and skunks when placing my hive. Gladly I soon ascertained that he is over in the States and so Trevor was justifiably more concerned about such predators than I am. I believe we only really have to watch out for the green woodpecker. A far cry from the troubles they have to go to! It looks like they literally build bee enclosures surrounded by electric fences or barbed wire to keep them all out. Thank the lordy that I may only have to consider some chicken wire around the hive in winter time if I have the slightest concern.





FEBRUARY 24





It's coming up to midnight and I have just got settled in front of the computer after an evening of corporate life. I feel exhausted and it couldn't have been further removed from my evening yesterday spent sowing sweet peas and chilli peppers. Having spent hours talking and incentivising I feel quite tired now and ready for a rather cold bed (as Jo is staying at the mother-in-law's tonight, along with Sebastian). I cannot wait for my head to hit the pillow though; it's funny, when you are tired, the words just don't want to come out particularly fluently but I just really want to get my thoughts down before the night-time displaces them elsewhere and the dawn chorus wakes me with other thoughts…

A lot of people seem to be taking an interest in my beekeeping exploits and my quest for just one pot of honey. There is such a nice community surrounding bees and beekeeping that it is lovely to say that I am becoming a part of it. Everyone is so keen to offer advice that it can actually be quite confusing, but I have to remember that they are doing it out of kindness and their passion for the bees. I get the feeling beekeeping is really about trying to understand all the information you can and then making your own conclusion about what feels right. It's good to know there is support at hand, though.



I was obviously excited about having bought my first hive, and mentioned it to a few of my beekeeping friends. There then followed a barrage of questions which included the following:



What floor are you using?



Did you get the crown board?