So… I’ve been collecting the odd lavender plant or fifteen recently, planning to put them on the apiary, a nice variety of types. Then I had the idea (well it might not have been my idea I’m not sure) of planting a nice low lavender hedge. So yesterday, basically I did just that. I went out to my favourite local nursery, Matthew’s Plants – Roydon Hamlet, and bought some hedge worthy varieties; Peter Pan, Little Lady and Hidcote. I then took them to the apiary, strimmed down some long grass by the main path, and planted them in a line. Now one of the issues at the apiary is rabbits, which I know from previous issues that they will eat anything going; my lavendar and quite expensive manuka plants for starters, grrr. As a result I covered the full 10m length with a handy roll of chicken wire, but I didn’t have anything to hold it down with. So later that night I went back and by torchlight pinned the net to the ground with tent pegs. Lets hope the rabbits are easily fooled by that and don’t do any digging 🙂
On the bee side, the bees were looking very active, one even came and stung me in the top of the head; ungrateful blooming whatsit !
The skep of bees I left to one side seem to be active; I’ve not decided if they are staying in there yet or not, I’ll see how the combining task goes once I see some laying queens somewhere… If I decide I don’t need it I think it can stay and we shall see how it progresses, although it is going to be another job that needs doing to make it a floor, a stand of its own and some kind of roof to keep the rain out.