Cleaning the hive

After ironing until 11, I have been in the garden all day. I can honestly say I only sat down at 2.30 for about 15 minutes while I had a snack for lunch. I had in my head so many things I wanted to get done, and although not all of them were completed, I’m very pleased with the day’s achievements. Jon has been outside too, latterly cleaning up his hive. It used to be at a friends allotment in East Runton, but sometime during last year the bees all died. Jon doesn’t know what killed them, so he needs to make it really nice and clean before he can get another swarm or nucleus. Not something we have needed to do since living up here, so will have to find out who to ask. In my extra photo you can see lots of dead bees, and interestingly, also wasps. Jon said they might have been the reason the bees died, but is is more likely to be disease. He has started to paint the base and will work up. The wax will be melted down and separated from the bits of dead bee, and old honey. We might then be able to do something useful with the wax at least.

I cleared my greenhouse out, dug it over and prepared it for planting. There were two large paving slabs which I asked Jon to move out for me. When he lifted the second one, he found a neatly built mouse nest, made of straw and bits of newspaper and containing, we think, a family of 5 wood mice - although they darted off in all different directions so quickly, it was difficult to count them. I felt guilty that I’d ruined their home, but now know who ate all my courgette and cucumber seeds last week!

The slabs were moved and I dug it over, found some sticks to grow my mange tout, and planted out the leggiest ones. With the door closed it is quite warm. I’m hopeful for them, although when the mice come back looking for their home, they might just sit and have a feast of my mange tout instead. I found a cache of nut shells close to their home. I have plenty more seeds.

Moved plants from pots to various spots in the ground, and did lots of watering. Jon cut our grass and next door. (Together with the rest of the village by the sound of mowers this morning) It is all looking much tidier.

Cooked roast gammon for dinner, which was lovely with traditional pease pudding and boiled potatoes, then had a lovely hot bath. Now it’s The Good Karma Hospital and then I need an early night!