Nettle Garden is a place for nature, her expression and healing, (however as I write this I had to chase a hen from my newly planted pot of caraway and catmint - wrong nature expression!)
With traditional farming continuously under fire for not rewilding enough, I smuggle wild seeds into every forgotten corner of our farm, I plant wildflowers by the hedgerows guerrilla style. And now....
Beekeeping! There will soon be a young queen bee with her courtiers residing here! And for once I seem to be doing it the right way round.
Beekeeping course attended (Really? That much to learn?)
Retired beehive acquired (Surely I am doing Mr L a favour by gradually emptying his garage of bits and bobs to do with bees.)
Amazingly strong will and restraint exhibited at a bee equipment shop (I really just need things to clean and repair the boxes. I am not even looking at the bee suits in soft pastel colours.)
Bees looked at online - not ordered yet (More exemplary restraint here!)
Today, being a Sunday and also one of those eight bright, sunny, dry days that we get in England these days each year, I cleaned a hive. I scraped old wax.
I breathed in the scent of honey and beeswax. I brushed every nook and cranny of the countless parts that a beehive consists of. I burned old frames with old combs to prevent any parasites surviving.
All in all, a very productive day with the view of a sweet, honey coloured future. And while my intention is bee centred beekeeping (for the bees, not the honey), there might be a bit honey going spare. Just to make a few electuaries with my Nettle Garden clients.
The only thing now is to get the bees.