A Hint of Spring . . .

On a hill over looking Hamilton Gardens http://www.hamiltongardens.co.nz/ , there is the old city cemetary. I happened to be up there today collecting tree samples and saw the first snowdrops of the season, I also noticed some of the early cherry trees budding and heard a tui - that was the bonus !

The cemetary isn`t used for burials anymore, unless you have a family plot, it is a very peaceful place to be with many of Hamilton`s early settlers resting there, plus a large soldiers plot. The saddest part for me is the childrens area, so little and so many - often from one family . . .

Still, spring is heralding her coming with buds bursting and bright, clear days.

Winter Bees - Sylvia Plath Poetry . .

Below are 2 of my favourite Sylvia Plath poems centered around bees with her very unusual understanding and slightly mad interpretations. Sylvia, born in Boston USA, had a short but interesting life, suffering from depression after a breakdown during her college years. Her father kept bees and had written 2 books about bees - Sylvia had a very close relationship with her father and was devastated after he died.
Her marriage to English poet Ted Hughes produced 2 children, but the unhappy, unbalanced woman committed suicide in 1963 in England.






WINTERING
Sylvia Plath 1932-1963

This is the easy time, there is nothing doing.
I have whirled the midwife`s extractor,
I have my honey,
Six jars of it,
Six cat`s eyes in the wine cellar,

Wintering in a dark without window
At the heart of the house
Next to the last tenants rancid jam
and the bottles of empty glitters ....
Sir So-and-So`s gin.

This is the room I have never been in
This is the room I could never breathe in.
The black bunched in there likle a bat,
No light
But the torch and its faint

Chinese yellow on appalling objects ....
Black asininity. Decay.
Possession.
It is they who own me.
Neither cruel nor indifferent,

Only ignorant.
This is the time of hanging on for the bees...the bees
so slow I hardly know them,
Filing like soldiers
To the syrup tin

To make up the honey I`ve taken.
Tate and Lyle keeps them going,
The refined snow.
It is Tate and Lyle they live on, instead of flowers.
They take it. The cold sets in.

Now they ball in a mass,
Black
Mind against all that white.
The smile of the snow is white.
It spreads itself out, a mile long body of Meissen,

Into which, on warm days,
They can only carry their dead.
The bees are all women,
Maids and the long royal lady.
They have got rid of the men,

The blunt, clumpsy stumblers, the boors.
Winter is for women ....
The woman, still at her knitting,
At the cradle of Spanish walnut,
Her body a bulb in the cold and too dumb to think.

Will the hive survive, will the gladiolas
Succeed in banking their fires
To enter another year ?
What will they taste of, the Christmas roses ?
The bees are flying. They taste the spring.




THE ARRIVAL OF THE BEE BOX

Square as a chair and almost too heavy to lift.
I would say it was the coffin of a midget
Or a square baby
Were there not such a din in it.

The box is locked, it is dangerous.
I have to live with it overnight
And I can't keep away from it.
There are no windows, so I can't see what is in there.
There is only a little grid, no exit.

I put my eye to the grid.
It is dark, dark,
With the swarmy feeling of African hands
Minute and shrunk for export,
Black on black, angrily clambering.

How can I let them out?
It is the noise that appalls me most of all,
The unintelligible syllables.
It is like a Roman mob,
Small, taken one by one, but my god, together!

I lay my ear to furious Latin.
I am not a Caesar.
I have simply ordered a box of maniacs.
They can be sent back.
They can die, I need feed them nothing, I am the owner.

I wonder how hungry they are.
I wonder if they would forget me
If I just undid the locks and stood back and turned into a tree.
There is the laburnum, its blond colonnades,
And the petticoats of the cherry.

They might ignore me immediately
In my moon suit and funeral veil.
I am no source of honey
So why should they turn on me?
Tomorrow I will be sweet God, I will set them free.

The box is only temporary.

Starting the next Venture . . .

Abit blurred I know, but hey its a start to my next venture !! My son Cameron manages a printing firm and very kindly, for his dear old Mum, printed my business cards and they are cool. Bright yellow with black writing, the bee being drawn by my youngest daughter, Ellena, on the lovely Mothers Day card she made for me - I love it, so decided to use it for my cards. Ora means pure in the Maori language. I will get the stickers for the honey jars in the same design.

Don`t you love that happy bee ? ? - although those wings might prove a tad useless - at least she hasn`t got a sting !

Favourite Reading . .

Above are some of my `bee` titles, ( my copy of `Robbing the Bees` is lent out) I do have a small collection of much older, some from last century, beekeeping books and a huge, some would say, over-the-top amount of infomation I have gathered about bees, beekeeping, anything remotely connected to bees - especially historical .

Most of the books I have had to send overseas for, the older ones I have found at second-hand book shops. My blogger friend Julia very kindly sent me a copy of her book `The Sweet Life` which is full of her beautiful photos and well written story of her and her family`s first year of beekeeping - her blog is great also, check out `Henhouse Pottery` .

One book I would recommend reading for all beekeepers and anyone who cares about what is happening to our world, is `Fruitless Fall` by Rowan Jacobsen - you know how everyone scoffed at Rachel Carson after she wrote `Silent Spring` ( another `must` read for all humans), well, the day has come my friends, and we are are going to have to work very hard to make things right or even , just abit better . . .

Winter morning market place . .

On a brisk, sunny winter`s morning the monthly farmers market is held at Tamahere, a small district on the outskirts of Hamilton city. The market, which has over 100 stalls, is held in the grounds of St Stephans, a delightful old wooden church, surrounded by trees and gravestones. In fact, the oldest and largest Rhododendron tree grows in this churchyard.

The stalls sell everything from fresh fruit, veges, all seasonal and fresh from the orchards that surround this area, plus nuts, coffee, yummy pastries, honey and home-made crafts. I particularly enjoy the plant stalls as they are always good value for money and healthy plants. A friend has a herb nursery and she always does very well at this market. I never buy eggs anywhere else as I know they come from happy chookies who roam free - the eggs look and taste different anyway !

This is a very popular market, one of many held around NZ on a Sat or Sun. It has grown hugely, is a great place for a wander around, taste the cheeses, sip a good hot coffee, have a yarn to someone you know and take life abit more gently then usual . .

There is often music playing, a South American group with their flutes, youngsters busking - nothing to loud and distracting - all in all, a very pleasent morning spent.

Frosty Morning . . .

Winter has certainly arrived with her frosty breath , -4 degrees C, frozen grass, brilliant blue sky with the last of the autumn colour slowly falling to the ground to end the yearly cycle once again - something I alway marvel at and never tire of . .

A fantastic frosty morning in the Waikato this week,a Gingko tree in the Hamilton Gardens looking spectacular with it`s pillow of fallen leaves which the gardeners leave as long as possible, mowing a circle around the tree !

How lucky we are to live in this energising place . . .

Club Honey Show 2009

The Waikato Domestic Beekeepers Assc held their annual Honey Show at the May meeting. It was very successful with quite afew of our new members entering honey and winning prizes !!

It is judged by taste, with light, medium and dark in both the runny and creamed classes. Wax and mead were also judged and I must admit, one of the mead samples had a real kick to it !

It is a fairly laid back affair and I would like to make some changes next year, maybe get judges in from commercial honey producers - make it more interesting. The number of exhibits has grown alot over the last couple of years, I think it is time to make it more professional.

We hold our meetings in a classroom at the Horticultural campus of Wintec, which is a large learning institution in Hamilton city. It gives us lots of room to spread out, we can show DVDs and videos, plus there is a laptop and projector for power point presentations. The biggest bonus is where we are situated . . . the Hamilton Gardens - my favourite place.

Alot of the honey was quite dark in colour, probably due to the pennyroyal around in lawns here in the city during autumn. Most of our members are from the urban area, with afew out of towners on life-style blocks or close to the bush areas.

Our club is growing rapidly with many more people interested in keeping bees, I hope after the adult night class I am teaching in August we will have many more wanting to help pollinate our world . .

Honey Jar .

Is this not a cool honey biscuit barrel or a large honey jar ? My friend gave it to me afew years ago and I love it !! The detail on it is beautiful and it is in perfect condition. I have a small collection of honey pots, but I think this is my favourite .

NATIONAL BEE WEEK IN NZ.

Below is an extract from the Organics Aotearoa web site. It is Bee Week here in NZ, focusing on the importance of bees in our lives. There has been articles in the news papers each day, so hopefully more and more people will become aware

01 May 2009
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) is putting a focus on bee-friendly farming, calling for reductions in toxic agrichemical use and increased organic research as Bee Week begins on Monday 4 May.
"Bees would not survive without human support, while a third of all the food we eat depends on bee pollination", said Dr Jon Tanner, OANZ Chief Executive Officer.
"During Bee Week, OANZ will advocate for reductions in toxic agrichemical use and more organic research", Dr Tanner said.
"There is mounting concern at the world's declining bee population, with agrichemical use a leading cause.
"Increasing organic research would allow all farmers to reduce their reliance on harmful agrichemicals.
"Greater research is particularly necessary around varroa, where we do not yet have organic options which can control the early stages of infestation. Beekeepers face having to abandon organic production until effective treatments are found.
"New Zealand produces around 300 tonnes of certified organic honey annually, mostly for international export. Organic bee products typically attract a price premium of around 25%.
"Organic beekeepers are required to locate hives more than five kilometers from intensively farmed properties, and to abide by certifiers' standards for hive management.
"Despite the challenge posed by varroa, organic beekeepers are generally positive about their future. Consumers are demanding the greater traceability which organics provides, and more farms are making the switch to organic production.
"OANZ is pleased to work alongside the National Beekeepers Association, Horticulture New Zealand and Plant and Food Research in coordinating Bee Week", Dr Tanner said.
ENDS
Three organic case studies are available for download:
Waitaki Honey Company
organic bee products exporter John Hartnell
the New Zealand Beeswax Company
There is also a media backgrounder with information about the themes of Bee Week, and more information is available on the National Beekeepers Association website.

Wild Hive

The alders are in a group on the river flat below the gardens, the mighty Waikato river flows through the city of Hamilton and is edged with great river walks and gardens.

Foraging bees at one of the entrances

Last week I came across a wild bee hive high up in an Alder tree down on the river flats below the Hamilton Gardens, I was so excited to find it as there are so few wild bees in NZ now. It was up to high to reach, had 2 entrances and the bees were very busy flying in and out.

It was most probably a swarm from one of the hives here in the sustainable garden, I was told that there had been a swarm acouple of months ago. I just hope it survives the winter and doesn`t die from varroa or other diseases.

CLUB HONEY . .

Summer is definately over down here in the Antipodes, Autumn and all her glory has arrived and I for one, am very pleased !

We extracted the honey from the club hives a couple of weeks ago, I am President of the Waikato Domestic Beekeepers Assoc, plus librarian and news letter editor. I really enjoy working with the older members of the club who have been beekeeping for generations, they have so much to teach. About 9 of us turned up on a beautiful morning to take the honey off the hives of which one of them had 8 supers on ! (see above pic) An hour or so later there were thousands of annoyed bees everywhere, I wasn`t worried as we were all kitted up in protective gear and no one was stung. I had the regal job of brushing bees of frames and filling the empty boxes with loads of delicious capped honey. We also added the Bayvarol strips, 2 in each hive for the treatment of varroa mite, these will be taken out in 6 weeks. The hives are on a farm on the outskirts of the city, they seem to do well on the clover, barberry hedges and large country gardens .

Afew days later at the monthly meeting, more of us gathered at one of the member`s homewhere the supers had been taken, (Roger has a large shed which is ideal for the messy job of extraction) for an evening of uncapping, extraction and friendly banter ! I can`t remember how much honey we ended up with, about twelve 20 litre buckets I think - all of which will be sold.

This is a great learning exercise for the newer members of the club, real hands-on stuff ! The evening finished with cups of tea and biccies.

bees at work ..

The beginning of December brings sunshine and flowers and many busy bees in my back garden. My girls have had flowering Manuka and Pittosporum eugenoides, Lemonwood, to choose from plus a wonderful big garden across the road that is full of flowering summer plants.

I have noticed that Miro, the taller hive is quite abit stronger then Rimu, hopefully this 2nd hive will catch up with her sister bees in time.

My 3rd hive, Matai, is at my friend`s place in the city and doing really well. I hope to take some honey off at the end of the month all going well.

Using Organic Treatment

Acouple of weeks ago I opened my hive, Matai, at my friend`s place, it had been a swarm I had collected a week before and I wanted to put a wafer of ApiLife Var, the organic varroa mite treatment on the top of the brood box.

Look at the pretty comb my girls have been making, I always feel bad when I have to scrap it off .. The organic wafer is put into the hive and because it evaporates, you can leave it there and not have to worry about taking it out later - it is very strong smelling, lasts forever on your hands if you do what I did and forget to wear gloves. I had meant to bring some thin surgeons gloves as I don`t wear any at all when I work with the bees, the leather ones I find far to cumbersum and end up squashing bees .. Apart from afew stings I have not had a problem having bare hands, the bees feel warm and velvety.

It will be very interesting to watch how this treatments works after using Apistan strips before, it just feels so much better to me NOT putting any sort of chemical into my hives - we will see . .

Spring and the bees are buzzing ...

My hive at home is waiting for a swarm, hopefully soon, as I can`t wait to have bees right at my back door ! There is a high fence for them to fly up and over before hitting the neighbours place and is sheltered from the cold southerly winds by the fence and an orange tree - also, it can not be seen from the road. I am also looking forward to showing my Grandaughter Lia the bees on a closer level, she is keen so I want to encourage her. I had better warn the lawn mower man ...

The Kowhai, (Sophora tetraptera) are in bloom - one of the first signs of spring in Aotearoa. The Waikato river that flows through Hamilton where I live, was once lined with this smallish feathery-leafed tree - old Maori memories say that the river water tasted of Kowhai ..

The nectar eating birds like Tui, Waxeyes and Korimako enjoy the sweet delight hidden well down in these bright yellow flowers - the leaves come out after flowering and it is semi-deciduous here in the Waikato.

We don`t have many brightly coloured native flowers here in NZ, so the Kowhai is extra special .

A stroll in the Gardens this morning ...

A red flowering native Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium, covered in flowers most of the year - bees love it ! This is a garden variety of Manuka, the original having soft pinkish white flowers and is the sp that provides the medicinal honey that is so popular now - it usually grows wild. This red sp is popular in gardens here as it offers colour during the colder months and is very hardy.

Viburnam tinus `Eve Price` flowering profusely all round the Gardens at the moment - fabulous purple berries follow the softly scented, delicate flowers - one of my favourites ! Viburnums are interesting shubs, I especially like the sp that flowers on bare wood before the leaves appear, they are usually stronly scented also, but don`t last very long when picked. Who in NZ didn`t grow up with a Snowball tree in the backyard - another Viburnum . .

Spring blossom from the Chinese garden, one of the themed gardens here that are based on original landscapes - check out the website below.I pressed this small branchlet, I think they are the most delicate of flowers .. I love botanical art and my favourite job in the world would be to work in a Herbarium, pressing and mounting dried samples of plants from around the world !

I don`t mind grey skies ... the tracery of the trees shows up clearer - this little sparrow was busy waiting for crumbs, he didn`t mind either .. I can`t explain the `buzz` I get from strolling in these gardens http://www.hamiltongardens.co.nz/ - they are the jewel in the city of Hamilton`s crown I believe - no matter what time of the year there is always plants and trees flowering - to think the area was originally a Maori Pa site, then amongst other things, a race track, dog dosing strip and finaly the city rubbish dump, miracles have been worked - it is my `soul` place . . .

ApiLifeVar - organics all the way !!

Last week at the monthly meeting of my local Bee Club ,we had a very inspirational speaker - Reuban Stanley is his name and his passion is ApiLifeVar, an organic treatment for varroa mites.

Reuban and his lovely Swiss wife Anne drove over from Rotorua about an hour away, and kept us all entertained for nearly 2 hours. First we had a great power-point display of the photos they had taken on his beekeeping adventures around the world, starting with keeping 80 hives in Switzerland and continuing into Asia with the promotion and selling of ApiLifeVar.

ApiLifeVar, to quote the pamphlet, is based on essential oils - Thymol,Eucalyptus,Menthol and Camphor, absorbed on an inert medium, is the organic solution for the treatment of varroasis in bees and against tracheal mite. After listening to Reuban`s very informative and interesting talk, I for one will be using this treatment in my hives this coming spring - surely it is so much better for my bees not to put any sort of chemicals that are going to have bad affects on them eventually, into their living space ??

Reuban is the NZ rep for this product, which is manufactured in Italy and exported to many other countries. It was so refreshing to listen to another point of view, even the critics had to admit that they were interested !

The meeting concluded with refreshments and a delicious honey and lemon cake made by Sandy - a pleasent end to a very good night ..

Winter flowers ...

Mahonia is one of my favourite winter flowering shrubs, the flowers are very scented, the bees, when they ventue out, love it and the berries which follow the flowers are a stunning purple. I also love the prickly, sculptured leaves !

The gorgeous witch hazel flower and it smells wonderful ! There are 2 of these lovely small trees growing in the American Modernist Garden here in the Hamilton Gardens, both are flowering now. The red flowered one above doesn`t smell very nice but it certainly beautiful, the yellow below still has last years leaves on.

Winter gardens are beautiful, magnolias, michelia, daphane, winter sweet, hellebore and a wealth of other sweet smelling trees and plants are flowering here in the Waikato at the moment, not to forget the bright, sunny Aussie, aka Mimosa or Wattle, plus the Banksias which the tiny wax eye flock to and so much more ... The native Kowhai is even starting to flower in some areas, always the first sign of spring.

I am honoured ...

It is autumn here in NZ, the days are cool and the light mellow ... Our bees are all tucked up in warm hives ( hopefully) and it is time to tidy up the woodwork, read lots of books and generally rest - yeah right, not this gal - I was nominated President of my local Bee Club along with librarian and news letter person - ahhhh

I have been doing the news letter for a year or so now and really enjoy it, the President role will be somewhat different - I have lots of ideas, but will take it slowly as not to upset the older gentlemen to much.

I am also really keen to have a Top Bar Hive this year, not much is known about them here and if I mention it to established beekeepers that tend to scoff at the idea, but I am determined to succeed !!

I will try and add more posts regularly ..

late summer bee flowers ...

What bee could resist this sight ?? Rudbeckia `Herbstonne` flowering away in the English Garden`s long border, seed heads are starting to appear now, the gardeners leave them for the birds most years. This tall, slightly straggly plant is flowering amoungst the brilliant blue salvia patens - quite a striking sight.

Monarda didyma or Bee Balm, wonderful scent and a real bee attractant - this plant is flowering in the Herb Garden here in the Hamilton Gardens where I spend most of the week - well, someone has to do it !! I spent the morning walking around the different areas of the Gardens photographing the plants the tutors will use in their classes this week. I put the pics onto disk and the photos are then used on a power point lesson, along with a real sample of each plant.

Late summer is upon us here in the South Pacific, it is still warm but the nights are drawing in and it seems cooler. Day light saving ends next week, thank goodness. I believe it goes on far to long now, I look forward to autumn and the changes that this mellow season brings.

Above is the pink sedum ( ignore the name plate next to it ) flowering in the Gardens at the moment. It had many bees on it`s honey scented flowers this morning. My bees are still out and about most days, we have finaly had some rain, not enough to break the drought but hopefully the nectar flow may start again, especially here in the city where there is always something flowering.

Roll on autumn days, my favourite time of the year, I think we humans need this time to wind down ready for winter. Of course it doesn`t happen like that anymore, we are still as busy as ever through the colder months.

Summer Honey ..

A small selection of the honey I collected last week from one half-depth super - it is very sweet and incredibly tasty, I use honey now for any sweetner - wonderful in stirfries, baking, over ice cream - anything really.

It has been a fantastic year for honey, every plant seemed to flower early and strong, my bees are out every day with the hot summer weather - just hope it rains soon ..

Here is a picture of all the jars full of Ora honey, ( Ora being Maori for `pure`) , my small collection of honey pots, all except one, have been given to me !

I have 2 supers to extract in the coming days, they are very full and heavy !! Once I have my label printed I will take some of the jars to the local market. I give jars away to family and friends but will still have far to much to keep in the cupboard.