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Book Review: The History of Bees, A Novel

2 Jul

My interest in bee keeping is shown on the Beehaven@OwlCreek tab above.

I struggled with this book.  I also appreciate the story.  Well over half way thru the book, I felt that I was reading multiple Twitter feeds.  Some characters lived in the 1800s, some in the present and some in the future.  The author does bring it together in the end.  If I had first read the Reading Group Guide on page 340 of my digital version, I would not have been so frustrated.

The contents include valuable information about commercial hives and the highly productive, delicate life cycle of bees.

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Baby Kiwis

25 Jun

June 2019:  Woo! Hoo! In this photo…blurry, baby kiwis!

Baby kiwis

Apparently, I focused on the the one top-left of center.  Three in this photo!

It has taken two years for this perennial plant to mature and bear fruit.  Also, we have had significant rain fall this season.  The vines have grown over ten feet long.  Hopefully, the vines will meet the arbor between the house and garden shed…may not be this year.  (I would have planted if closer, if I had understood how it grew.)

May 2018:  Last year’s great expectations deflated.  Here we “grow” again!  Our perennial kiwi vine has a strong start for this season.  It is front and center in the photo below with four vines.  So far, the longest one is over three feet long.

May 2017:  Yesterday, we were pleasantly surprised to find potted “Hardy Kiwi” for $12 at Cox’s Plant Farm.  I thought kiwi grew on trees like apples or cherries.  It is a vine that prefers a trellis to support perhaps 100 fruit.  We’ll let you know how we did.

http://ediblelandscaping.com/careguide/Kiwi/

 

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2019 Garden Expansion: May Update

8 May

 

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https://www.rhshumway.com

  1. Gourds (future crafty bird houses and dippers) started in egg cartons on the kitchen counter…they started sprouting I moved them to larger biodegradable containers.
  2. Hummingbird plant and zinnia seeds have been in an outdoor container for a couple of weeks
  3. Trial for fruit trees started with 1 persimmon, then 2 apples and 2 pears, 1 peach and 1 fig.
  4.  More Annual flowers:  Snapdragon, Bells of Ireland, Cockscomb to be planted

Expect future posts on my garden expansion project.

 

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Joy=February Garden Planning

8 Feb

149th Year:  R. H. Shumway Seedsman

https://www.rhshumway.com

What may be better than Valentines Day?  Receiving the BIG, beautiful RHShumway seed catalog in February when the outside temperature is 20 degrees F.

I normally buy local herb/tomato/vegetable nursery plants in May.  This year, as well as plants I am ordering seed.  Three categories of plants have my attention.

  1. Gourds and Luffa Sponge:  future crafty bird houses, dippers and sponges
  2. Persimmon root-stock:  Regional fruit
  3. Annual flowers:  Zinnias, Snapdragon, Bells of Ireland, Cockscomb

Expect future posts on my garden expansion project.

 

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Dirty job: composting

27 Jun
Yard compost bin

Yard

Kitchen compost bin

Kitchen

 

Compost bins

 

 

 

 

 

Composting is both a dirty job and “Black gold” to enrich vegetable garden….this season’s yield…200 pounds!

For eighteen years, I have used a three step process to mitigate the slime and smell of kitchen waste.  This year I added a fourth step.

  1. Compost kitchen and garden waste (very slimy and smelly)
  2. Compost yard waste (primarily trimmings of perennial flowers).
  3. Add kitchen compost to yard waste = black gold
  4. Top off with ashes from fire pit for enrichment

All gardening starts with dirt.  Yes, it is less expensive and messy to buy compost by the bag at garden centers.  Homemade is better.

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Fabulous Foliage

16 Jun

and thank you to 2,000 followers!

Hosta: Rainforest Sunrise
Hosta: Golden edge
Hosta: Guacamole

Our very cold late spring in central Indiana stunted blooms on our flowering trees.  However, the rains that followed supported the best season ever for our hostas.

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Kiwi for gardening

24 May

May 2018:  Last year’s great expectations deflated.  Here we “grow” again!  Our perennial kiwi vine has a strong start for this season.  It is front and center in the photo below with four vines.  So far, the longest one is over three feet long.

May 2017:  Yesterday, we were pleasantly surprised to find potted “Hardy Kiwi” for $12 at Cox’s Plant Farm.  I thought kiwi grew on trees like apples or cherries.  It is a vine that prefers a trellis to support perhaps 100 fruit.  We’ll let you know how we did.

http://ediblelandscaping.com/careguide/Kiwi/

 

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Look UP

9 May
Lilac
Red Bus

Look DOWN

Hiden inside the clump of lovely daffodils…are they duck eggs?  They seem to be large for duck eggs.  I hope the little ones survived.  I did not realize they were there until they were gone 😦

 

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Happy Holidays!

12 Dec

Christmas tree launch? Entrance to the Indianapolis Museum of Art

New Fields: More than a Museum

Gardens, Old Field Estate, Greenhouse, 100 Acre Park

 

 

 

Drive thru Christmas light show is the main attraction this year.

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Friday photos: Autumn

6 Oct

Purple Dome Aster

Sedum

Plumbago

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