To bee, or not to bee?

There's gold in them there hills and I've found it!
Three years ago we agreed to host a hive of honeybees at the garden.  That one hive quickly became two but unfortunately we were relatively unsuccessful that first year. Both hives struggled and they never really performed the way we had hoped and we didn't get any honey.  We really didn't do it to get honey as much as we thought it would be a positive for our little ecosystem that we have here.   Honey is just one of those fringe benefits you get for doing something good and positive for the environment.  Luckily for me, failure at first is usually a good sign (if you can believe that) as it only strengthens my resolve to strive for success.  That first year was a learning experience although we really didn't do anything wrong.  We were assured by our beekeeper friend that sometimes the hives just don't do well and to not get discouraged.  Sometimes there is no explanation as to why a healthy hive doesn't do well.  It just happens from time to time.  He was very confident we would be successful the next year and of course I was willing to keep trying.

 The following year we hosted only one hive and it was a strong one from the get go.  The colony was very vibrant, one of the best of the year of the many our beekeeper had.  We really had high hopes that we would be able to overwinter the hive since it was so strong.  We did get a harvest of honey from that hive but they didn't survive the winter.  It was disappointing but by then we were hooked on the idea and knew we would have bees again.  We did and it was good.  Our most recent hive produced two harvests of honey (spring and fall) although the spring harvest was mostly produced by the previous years tenants.  We hope to get this hive overwintered.  We fed them going into winter and we hope it was enough.  Time will tell.  It would be a thrill to get this hive to the other side.  It's kind of like coming full circle.  Husbandry, if you will.  It would then become "our" hive and we would have a real sense of ownership in it.  They would be our bees.

We are gardeners here, first and foremost, and the incentive to have a colony of bees had very little to do with honey.  It had to do with pollinators.  Even though the majority of the crops we grow don't require insect pollination we really felt it would help with those that do.  It is something that is hard to quantify but we feel it did increase some yields.  Of course there is a lot more than vegetables in the garden for bees to forage on.  They do have their preferences and when they find something they like they can get pretty thick.  Often, you don't realize how many there are until you begin looking closely and the more you look, the more you see.  It makes the garden more alive somehow.

We have always had a good supply of bumblebees and mason bees but a honey bee was always a rarity (although not unheard of).  Now, we can't imagine not having them around.  They've become fixtures.
It has been a great learning experience as well.  It's been three years and I'm learning something new about bees all the time.  They are fascinating creatures and I have the utmost respect for them.  Of course I admire their work ethic but also their social structure, sense of community, and their tireless drive for survival.  Examining them up close reveals a focused and highly specialized being.  They quietly and diligently go about their business and unless threatened, are rather docile.  Everything they do is for the greater good.  It's inspiring.
 

These frames, from this past summer, are nicely capped and full of ripe honey ready for harvest or if left in the hive, a source of winter food.  This is what it's all about if you're a bee, or for that matter, a beekeeper also.  Foraging for nectar is the name of the game.  Pollination is merely a by-product.  It is a by-product that we gardeners covet so having a slave labor camp of 30K on site is a real benefit.  There is also one other benefit.....

The hive still contains some live bees at last check a few days ago and since we've had a pretty cold winter so far, we're optimistic they will make it all the way.  We are keeping our fingers crossed.

This may sound odd but as intrigued as I am with the whole process, I have no real desire to take up beekeeping myself.  It does take some time and effort and I simply can't take on anymore.  That could always change in the future if my hand was forced.  The place just wouldn't be the same without them around now.  So even if this hive doesn't survive the winter the answer to the question of "to bee?" is a resounding YES.  Yes, we will have bees.  Yes, we will be the beneficiaries of it.  And when we need honey in the kitchen, we will have it.

Terror On The Orange Express

The seed catalogs have been rolling in over the last few weeks and with it comes the excitement of planning the 2018 garden.  There is nothing like the fantasy of Spring when it is absolutely frigid outside.  Fantasy and imagination is what sustains us gardeners through what often seems like an endless winter.  We start dreaming.  We look forward.  There it is again, that promise of the future.  That thing we all have.

I keep a mental note of the seeds I may need to purchase for next year while I am doing my spring chores.  Seed dies.  It loses vigor.  It doesn't last forever.  Sometimes, you sow all you have.  In any event, seed needs to be replaced.  It's usually no big deal.  You just buy fresh seed, especially for the staples.  There is always a budget for new varieties, new species, new challenges, but the tried and true staple varieties are more or less a constant.  When you find a variety that works and is perfect for you, why would you change?  It's hard to improve on perfection.  So we fall into a bit of a rut and these perfect varieties become fixtures.  You take them for granted.

Of course, you only realize this when they are taken from you.

I've been growing 'Nelson' carrot for well over 20 yrs., going back to our time in Washington state.  It is hands down the best fresh eating, main season variety out there and I've grown a lot of different varieties of carrots over that time so I know.  A true nantes type, it is incredibly uniform, crisp and sweet.  I haven't found anything that compares.  This year, I needed some fresh seed since what I have left is a couple years old and probably not enough for a full crop anyway.  As I said before, "No big deal".  I'll order new seed just as I've done numerous times over the last quarter century.  I looked to the usual sources but I wasn't finding it.  Not in Stokes, or Territorial, or Johnny's, or even in Jung's.  Now I was starting to get concerned.  I figured I would be able to find it on the net (you can find anything there) but much to my chagrin, I had no luck.  I did a little investigation and came to find out it is no longer commercially available.
My response? ....Sheer terror!

I really couldn't believe what I was reading.  This variety is stellar.  Why would they stop producing it?  Johnny's Selected Seeds has even stated that they have yet to find a suitable substitute.  It's a head scratcher to me but I suppose they have their reasons.  'Nelson' may be back at some point but for this year I'll have to do some trials in hopes of finding a carrot that can hold a candle to it.  'Nelson' is a tough act to follow and to be honest, I don't feel very confident that I'm going to find a "suitable substitute" either.  It's important to note that there was a time before 'Nelson' and life will go on after as well.  For now however, I am shocked and traumatized but I think I'll survive.  As long as they don't take 'Bolero' from me, I'll be fine.  There is a carrot out on the horizon that will become the next 'Nelson'.  One that will have everything and become the object of my gardening affection.  I just have to find it.
Let the search begin!