Bees in the Sustainable Garden flying in the sunshine today
Pollen laden honey bees out amongst the spring blooms today.
Peach blossom in the Chinese garden, the ground below strewn with petals. . .
Two weeks ago I ran a very successful TopBar beekeeping workshop out at my friends lovely Herb Garden/Nursery and Cafe. As you can see from the above photo, there was an excellent turn-out even with the weather being wet and chilly ! We sat outside under cover for most of the time, retreating inside for a hearty lunch and afternoon tea.
Magnolia `Alba`, very beautiful, there are many magnolias flowering in the Gardens at the moment. they make a amazing show of colour.
A beautiful winter morning in the Hamilton Gardens today. Above pic is taken in the American Modernist garden, the statue in the pool has many different names, it can be anything you like !
I was out collecting plant samples for one of the tutors and came across the Woman`s Suffrage (NZ was the first country in the world to allow women to vote) building. I haven`t been here for ages, it is very peaceful, surrounded by native trees and tucked away along the valley walk. The tiny swallow, below, came and kept me company for awhile. She kept darting out over the water catching insects, then back to the same spot.
poppy buds
Puriri flowers - this native tree flowers nearly all year, attracting tui and other nectar loving birds.
Driving down into Hamilton Gardens this morning this is the scene that greeted me, I couldn`t resist stopping and taking photos. It was so beautiful, the rising sun shining across the trees, wispy mist above the river, everything sparkling with frost - ahhhh, winter, my favorite season. .
This little sparrow was waiting for crumbs at the Gardens cafe - note her leg hanging down, poor wee thing - she could still fly ok and wasn`t shy .
It has been a glorious winter day here in Aotearoa, I think the whole country is bathed in sunshine. The day did start with a -4C frost here in the Waikato, everything covered with beautiful sparkly frost. The fijoa tree`s leaves were all out-lined, the same with the kowhai tree below. I love the way the frost defines the leaf shape.
I love looking deep into a flower and marveling at the beauty it contains. Thousands of tiny pollen grains just waiting for a bee or butterfly or many other insects, to crawl in, first to sample the sweet treat of nectar, then on the way out, brush against the anthers, collecting so many pollen grains to take into the next flower to help create a seed - natures potent storehouse of new life and energy - awesome . . .
Imagine our world without all this beauty - I cannot begin to think how sad and dreary we would all be - no more colour, not even a lonely little dandylion in the lawn . . .
The photo above was taken yesterday out of the large window I was sitting by, in a great cafe in the little village of Pirongia, not far from Hamilton. The mountain the village and area is named after, can be seen slightly in the misty background. I was having a coffee and muffin reading over my notes, feeling nervous about the talk I was soon to deliver to the Waikato branch of the NZTCA ( tree croppers) ! The talk went very well plus a wonderful lunch with lots of yummy nut receipes to choose from, eg Chestnut soup, walnuts, hazelnuts and in general, very delicious - plus I nearly forgot, a container with a pump and tap of extremely drinkable apple cider - thanks Rob, that helped settle the nerves !!
These 2 cards were made for me by my lovely daughter Pip, one for my birthday and the other for Mothers Day - I cherish them. She loves the old Girls Annual books, using pictures she cuts out ever so neatly and puts together on good card - I just love getting things like this, made with love and thoughtfulness. .
It is certainly heart warming to a parent when given something hand-made with love - all mine know what I love doing, know all my little eccentricities . . .
Precious cargo, 12 adult Korimako or native NZ bellbird being carried into Te Parapara Maori garden, Hamilton Gardens, 2 weeks ago, to be released into our city environment after an absence of 100 yrs ! The birds were mist caught on TiriTiri Matangi and other areas north of Auckland where they have flourished in predator free sancturies - I truly hope they will flourish here again.
The 2 people mostly concerned with this project, John Innes (Landcare Research, and a young chap from the University of Waikato carried the box onto the garden, welcomed by a kuia from the local iwi, Ngati Waiwere. It always sends shivers up my spine when I hear the haunting call that can either welcome or send-off a being onto a marae or sacred place by these women.
A prayer from the kuia to send them on their way, these native birds once were everywhere throughout the Waikato, but with loss of habitat and introduced predators, they survive only in 2 or 3 isolated bush areas.
aThere were alot of people including children at the Gardens to watch this historic event, it is heartening to see the number of keen conservationists gathered together and so interested. I am very proud of my city for having the foresight to replant and repopulate.
A beautiful male Korimako with his olive green plumage, the female is not quite as green. Their song is truely amazing, check out any NZ bird site and find a recording, sorry, i`m lazy and haven`t done it for you.
My TopBar hive with the roof off and me unsticking the bars , I didn`t get to into it as it was windy and the bees started to get grumpy - I managed to pull acouple of bars up and everyone got a quick glimpse of wax comb.
This is my first TopBar workshop, held today at my home. I am so excited at how well it all went, even with thunderstorms occasionally ! Everyone was very keen to learn about the TB and beekeeping with no one having seen this type of hive before. I was lucky enought to have a spare empty hive to show them the insides and just how it all works.
In between heavy showers we ventured out to check out the hives
The observation window was a hit with everyone, the bees having built comb on the inside. My next hive is going to have a much longer window so it will be possible to really get a good look inside the hive.
Autumn is my absolute favourite season, I don`t mind a little rain or wind - the days are usually settled with that gorgeous mellow light that bathes everything in a soft yellow/orange glow. Above are the tulips I brought (unseasonal of course) with a bowl of beautiful scented ornamental quince and the gorgeous card my lovely daughter, Pip, made for me - she is very clever, making cards using pictures she cuts out of old girls annuals and the like - this one has a stylised looking `me` with a honey bee on a leash ! There is also a photo of my grandaughter Lia and grandson Elliott taken awhile ago now. I have to be surrounded in my`things` getting loads of enjoyment from just `looking` . .
A busy wee spider had made this perfect web over night - the water droplets caught in the strands glistened this morning on my walk through the Gardens - once the slight fog had lifted everything sparkled, and I heard quail calling.
As I walked across the rose garden this morning this beautiful sight greeted me - the balloon slowly rising through the mist, silently gliding across the city - we are so lucky to live where we are, here in Godszone as NZ is often called - it seems so easy to notice the simple pleasures often overlooked in our busy lives - it just takes time to stop and treasure the jewells we are surrounded by . . .
My eldest daughter, Meg draw the `Last Supper` on the blackboard at her brother Cameron and his wifes` cafe Alimento in Tauranga - patrons loved it
Matt playing aucostic guitar at Alimento on Easter Sat, Pip, Elliott and I called in for lunch - Elliott enjoyed his `kids` lunch !
Elliott and little friend dancing the moves to his and Amalie`s Dads` band in the street on Easter Sunday - so full of joy - I love watching him dance and sing, his innocence at this age is delightful.
Mats` band, `Bare Bones and Cabaret` is becoming popular around the Bay of Plenty, they have played over here in Hamilton and out at Raglan - lots of good `ol rock and roll, all being their own music - Matt is on the right. Elliott loves jamming with his Dad, he and his little cousin Jackson, were playing the drums ( 2 long sticks on a stool top) and he said their band was called `the poopy beatles` - very appropriate !
My gorgeous 2 nearly 3yr old grandson, Elliott Thomas with his best friend, the Easter Bunny in the street at Mt Maunganui, the beach town on the east coast where he lives with his Mum and Dad.
This week was the last bee keeping class for the term, the 6th lesson I always have at my place and we check out my hives if the weather is ok. Everyone (only afew in the pic above) was intrigued with my TB hive and I`m pretty sure there will be a number of converts !! I know for sure that one couple have the plans already and will have their TB built in time for spring in Sept.
Lifting the roof exposed lots of ants cleaning up a dead cockroach and a small group of bees busy propolising with shiny red something. I did smoke a small amount around the 2 entrance holes as there were people around without protective clothing on.
The first 2 bars have some propolis and a small amount of wax on them, the next one in
It was a warm evening so I took out another 3 bars which were joined with each one having its own seperate comb, all with the bee space between them, some with capped nectar, others to be capped. The bees were so calm, there was no frantic flying around, mind you, I didn`t have it open for that long. I find that by picking up more then one bar at a time the comb feels more stable somehow. Article I wrote for local Environment Centre .
TOPBAR BEE HIVE
Would you like to keep honey bees, Apis mellifera, for pollination and honey in your garden or orchard ? In an urban or rural setting ? If so, then I believe this is the perfect hive to keep them in !
The TB hive has been used for centuries in Africa and Asia, not quite in the same shape as the one pictured, but a similar idea of a single box used as the hive body, as close as possible to the bees natural home in a tree or cavity.
TB hives are made from untreated wood, usually macrocarpa or cedar, wood that does not need painting or any chemicals applied to it to last a number of years. It is also thick enough to keep the bees warm over winter and cooler in summer – plus it smells good ! The legs are made from treated wood just so they will last weather-wise and the roof is water-proof, shaped so as the rain will run off – I have had no problems with moisture getting into the hive after heavy rain.
The name TopBar is taken from the bars of wood that lie across the hive, (see pics), to which the bees attach the wax comb they naturally make to fill with nectar, pollen and baby bees ! The bars are all the same width and length and when all are used, form a roof of sorts which the bees propolise to make water tight. I do also have another more waterproof roof over that, see above. The plans for my TB hive were down-loaded free from an excellent English website called `Bio Bees` - I suggest anyone who is thinking about keeping bees read Phil`s words, he is very informative and enlightening.
With a TB hive there is no need for much of the equipment that seems to accumulate with the Langstroth hive commonly used by beekeepers in NZ. You don`t need any extra honey boxes as the hive body is all you use, there is no heavy lifting ( ideal for people in wheelchairs or others with bad backs), because it is a more natural way of keeping bees there seems to be alot less stress on the bees themselves which makes for a far more pleasant task when opening the hive – only taking a bar or two out at a time, allows the hive temp to stay more or less the same, the bees being less anxious and annoyed at the intrusion into their home.
The photo to the left shows a completely natural piece of wax comb built by the bees. They start from underneath the bar and work down to form a beautiful half-moon shape consisting of hundreds of hexagonal cells, everyone exactly the same size, in which they store nectar and pollen or the queen will lay her eggs in.
I firmly believe that this is the way for hobbyists to keep bees, you might not get a huge surplus of honey but the advantages of having happy, healthy bees in your garden to pollinate your fruit and vege is more important than jars of honey ! We need to really start to care for our bees, stop manipulating them and upsetting the delicate balance they have for living their lives in a productive manner – we as humans, will benefit from this far more than we ever realise. Start caring for what is around you and you will be amazed at what you can change !
If you are interested in these hives, please ph or email me on 07-8566468 or marcia.meehan9@gmail.com
Yours in beez ... Marcia
Our New Zealand native Kingfisher or Kotare as the Maori called it, the name meaning a`scrounger, someone who lives off the genorosity of ones friends` - called that may be because kingfisher typically hang around ponds, rivers and lakes waiting for the fish to appear.
Don`t mess with me !
She/he is only a baby, we took it to the local `bird man` and he said it was the 2nd one he had in over the last week. The tiny bird with a very sharp beak, sat quietly while I took pics, excuse my finger in the top one, I will try and get rid of that when I print them out ! It still needs acouple more weeks of being in the nest before it fledges - bill the birdman will keep and care for it until he releases it. And that isn`t my hairy arm - just so you no I`m not a yeti !!
Above is a pic of another bees nest in a bird box placed on a Liriodendron or Tulip Tree in the garden . I am going to go back this week sometime, climb up a ladder and lift the lid ! i would love to have a quick peep inside and maybe leave a small piece of varroa (organic) treatment inside so may be they will survive the winter. Both wild hives were still quite busy.
