Sustainable beekeeping, chickens, and baking
I did my first Zoom wildlife gardening course on Saturday which went really well. It's definitely a different experience but I had a beekeeping couple join the session who live in the Netherlands with a large area of land, so obviously the advantage is that I can reach out far more with online courses. Part … Continue reading Gardening for Birds and Bees
Our insects and wildlife are suffering severe declines, but gardening and getting outside is the perfect opportunity to learn how we can help our bees and other insects and wildlife in these valuable spaces. If you're already a beekeeper and would like to know how best to increase the natural forage and biodiversity for your … Continue reading Zoom Gardening for Bees and Wildlife
In January last year, I attended a conference on landscape use and sustainability at Sussex University, and I took away a strong, galvanising feeling of implementing necessary change. Then - bam - the pandemic hit which actually obliged me to pursue the avenues I had pledged to consider. I thought about putting my Introduction to … Continue reading Ways to be Wayward this Christmas
This Christmas is going to be a strange one for many, although less so for me as I usually spend Christmas Day on my own or with my children, and actually I find it blissfully relaxing! My older two have moved away so now it's just Rosie and me, and this year we have our … Continue reading Bee Courses for Christmas
The UK is currently under high alert for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N8) so even those of us with a few hens are required by law to adhere to the biosecurity measures set out by government. Oh, if only it were as simple as donning a mask and maintaining social distance... I am disappointed as … Continue reading Bird Flu
I have been in my house for nearly 12 years now, and one of the first things I did was to plant some crocus bulbs. They are the early flowering purple ones - a variety I never manage to say correctly on the first attempt: Crocus Tommasinianus (it's up there with 'diatomaceous earth' which I … Continue reading Bulbs for Bees
Beekeeping is more than just keeping bees, and right now, with the world in a state of flux, I feel it is more important than ever. Not, I hasten to add, because we should all be installing hives, but an understanding of a bee colony allows us to connect with the interactions of nature so … Continue reading What can beekeeping teach us?
I have reinstated my Gardening for Bees and Wildlife course as it is a great time to think about planting for next year, and get some good habitats in place before the weather sets in for the winter. It is becoming increasingly clear that our apiaries, gardens, and public spaces are not just a valuable … Continue reading New Course! (Sort of…)