Plans for planting

[Skinfaxi]

I grow about 1000 plugs of wildflowers every year, I collect the seed in the autumn and get the seeds going in the Spring then plant out after the meadow has been cut in August. For the garden I prefer perennials but I do grow some annuals for bees - nasturtiums, borage and calendula. Find once you've grown a couple of seasons providing you're not too tidy late summer, the seeds will germinate in the ground the following year, so I don't start seed from scratch each Spring. Here’s some pics of my efforts. I was a gardener long before a beekeeper.
Hope your propagation goes well this Spring! Looks a nice set up

You have really nice garden, well done.grow anyting but grass.

 

[Buzz1138]

I grow about 1000 plugs of wildflowers every year, I collect the seed in the autumn and get the seeds going in the Spring then plant out after the meadow has been cut in August. For the garden I prefer perennials but I do grow some annuals for bees - nasturtiums, borage and calendula. Find once you've grown a couple of seasons providing you're not too tidy late summer, the seeds will germinate in the ground the following year, so I don't start seed from scratch each Spring. Here’s some pics of my efforts. I was a gardener long before a beekeeper.
Hope your propagation goes well this Spring! Looks a nice set up

What a lovely looking spot. Where in the UK are you?

 

[Swarm]

We filled in an old pond last year, probably 10x10m and about 15m from some hives, I planted one half with borage/phacelia the other with wild mustard, the bees were on the wild mustard daily all summer and they foraged the phacelia and borage as well but was more sporadic.

I suspect it depends on what you plant, one or two plants probably won't take their interest but anything that provides a decent amount of nectar will

My garden is planted with pollinators in mind and when I had bees at home, I would regularly see them, even watch their flight paths.
At an out apiary site, there is a bank covered with bramble directly below the hives, the bees always benefit, they were even on the fruit when I was picking it last year. There are fruit trees within thirty yards, apple, pear, damson and the bees are all over them.
I

 

[elainemary]

What a lovely looking spot. Where in the UK are you?

1000 ft up in the South Pennines above Hebden bridge in West Yorkshire. It is glorious on a nice still day. Been blowing a hooley here for several days. We’ve planting hundreds of hedging plants and many trees to create windbreaks. Then fixed windbreak to protect the windbreak!

Every winter we go round the same debate “should we move”!?

 

[Buzz1138]

Beautiful. And convenient for Northern Bee Books who are nearby!

 

[Curly green finger's]

1000 ft up in the South Pennines above Hebden bridge in West Yorkshire. It is glorious on a nice still day. Been blowing a hooley here for several days. We’ve planting hundreds of hedging plants and many trees to create windbreaks. Then fixed windbreak to protect the windbreak!

Every winter we go round the same debate “should we move”!?

Yes to Shropshire

 

[Curly green finger's]

Annually take hardwood cuttings of roses, blackcurrant, fruit trees, grow veg and like to sow perennials
Also buy in around 200 perennial plugs to sell on our stall.
We Have a small wildflower area which the children have planted with seeds on the 25th May 2021
Mixed migratary beekeeper with bees on a cider farm/ estate / home farm/ hills.
A mixture of forage both planted and wild.

 

[Nannysbees]

Annually take hardwood cuttings of roses, blackcurrant, fruit trees, grow veg and like to sow perennials
Also buy in around 200 perennial plugs to sell on our stall.
We Have a small wildflower area which the children have planted with seeds on the 25th May 2021View attachment 30325
Mixed migratary beekeeper with bees on a cider farm/ estate / home farm/ hills.
A mixture of forage both planted and wild.

Stunning

 

[elainemary]

Beautiful. And convenient for Northern Bee Books who are nearby!

Yes, I'm a regular visitor to Jeremy's for a cuppa surrounded by his books!

 

[JamezF]

I've been out in the greenhouse this afternoon sowing broad beans, many hundreds of onion seeds, and a few dozen beetroot (half red, half yellow). There's a fair bit more to get kicked off over the next few weeks too.

James

 

[Curly green finger's]

And it begins @JamezF.
I don't know if you would remember hive maker?
He would have alsorts planted by know a gardener and beekeeper to be recond with, I miss his posts about gardening
I bet he's planting some wonder veg up stairs.
Checked the overwintering cabbage and started watering more today.

 

[JamezF]

I don't know if you would remember hive maker?

I do indeed. Visited him quite some years back to pick up a few blocks of fondant that he'd piggy-backed on a much larger order for himself.

James

 

[Curly green finger's]

I do indeed. Visited him quite some years back to pick up a few blocks of fondant that he'd piggy-backed on a much larger order for himself.

James

If I recall he would sow Tom's on boxing day or around Christmas time and bring them on with lights, he new a thing or two about hydroponics, I wonder if his boys have carried on his love for growing things?

 

[Erichalfbee]

If I recall he would sow Tom's on boxing day or around Christmas time and bring them on with lights, he new a thing or two about hydroponics, I wonder if his boys have carried on his love for growing things?

Did you swap any stories on the forum?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Did you swap any stories on the forum?

Yes we did, but also remember my acc was deleted in 2018 and then reinstated as curly green finger's but use to be curly green fingers.

 

[JamezF]

If I recall he would sow Tom's on boxing day or around Christmas time and bring them on with lights, he new a thing or two about hydroponics

That sounds like an interesting idea to try some time. Perhaps with peppers too, though I'm hoping against hope that last year's peppers might survive the winter in the polytunnel.

I'd have to use solar PV to power grow lights, but that's not beyond the realms of possibility. One of my hopes for this year is to build a solar-powered irrigation system using water from a bunch of IBCs that we fill from our well.

As it is, tomato-sowing will definitely be taking place before the end of the month. I still want to find a decent yellow variety to grow. The one I planned to have this year is sadly not available at the moment. (I buy many of my seeds from the Real Seed Catalogue, but they do sometimes struggle to get seeds if a crop doesn't do well.)

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes we did, but also remember my acc was deleted in 2018 and then reinstated as curly green finger's but use to be curly green fingers.

Your account was deleted in 2018?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Your account was deleted in 2018?

So it was. I’ve found some of your earlier posts about your 3 acre small holding.

 

[Curly green finger's]

So it was. I’ve found some of your earlier posts about your 3 acre small holding.

Oh farm? Or fields we own?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh just some earlier aspirations. Plans change. We all change direction at times.