Sunday 21 April 2013

Catching Up...






I love the appearance of woodland flowers in spring - and one of my favourite flowers is the wood anemone.  I think it's so precious because it doesn't flower for long, and even when it is in bloom it will only open out in the sun, and it will close up again at dusk.  I used to think this little flower was a sort of bridesmaid flower, a prelude to the main event of bluebells that will soon push through the wood anemones and transform the ground into a shimmering blue. But now I look forward to the wood anemone in its own right; its presence indicates that a wood is ancient (in England a wood is ancient if it existed before 1600) and, crucially for me, the bees love it.  Fortunately, my hives are right next to a wood full of these flowers.

Elsewhere on the smallholding spring has arrived at last.  I've been ill recently; first of all with a lung infection and then on top of this I managed to get flu, so I've been in bed with a high temperature feeling sorry for myself. When I did come back into the world (!) I found that everything is growing and flowering, and the "summer" birds, such as Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and this Blackcap (below) are back in the hedges around the pond...


I didn't see my first butterfly of the year until last week, and now they're all over the smallholding...




The bees are everywhere, too, including this bumblebee I watched flying around the hellebores until it stopped and sheltered under some leaves for a while.  I like to think it was sunbathing...


I had my first real look in my own hives this weekend, and I found that I've lost a colony, the only one I've ever lost.  These honeybees were fine in early March, but the last few weeks of cold weather proved too much for them and they hadn't taken the extra food I'd given them. I imagine beekeepers who have kept bees for many years become used to losing colonies, and I suppose I will, too, but I'm sure it will always be upsetting to see the bees clustered and still around the queen.  I'm even more grateful, now, for my surviving "strong" colonies. 

The ducks are just starting to nest at last, although they seem to be laying eggs in barmy places.  Today, we found an exposed egg on top of a pile of mulch, and the female mallard dozing unconcerned right next to it.  Here she is later on drinking from an old bath we collect rainwater in to water the veg...



The swallows have just arrived back and are flying above, so I'm hoping they've noticed the barn as a potential site for their nest.

The primroses have been blooming for a while - and my bank of primroses (where most are growing in small clumps) is looking wonderful...

















And other spring flowers are looking beautiful, too...








Meanwhile we've been involved in "maintenance work" on the smallholding; replacing glass in the greenhouse and putting glass in the cold frame.  I'm also really behind with my veg and flower seeds this year, so I've been sowing and planting like mad over the past few days.  This weekend I planted potatoes, spinach, and various flower seeds and I did lots of weeding.  It's typical; the year I decide to rely on seeds for almost everything - is the year I make a late start...

Will I ever catch up?
  
 
 
 

42 comments:

  1. I've really enjoyed reading this post Wendy- you have most of my favourite things in it! So sorry to hear about your bees- how upsetting, and also that you've been poorly too. Hope you're now on the mend. CT x

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    1. Thanks CT. It is sad about the bees; I think their problems may have begun with the bad weather last summer, followed by the long, cold winter. And I'm feeling better now; thanks.

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  2. I'm sure you'll catch up, helped by the season being so late as well (this is what I keep telling myself..)

    Glad you're feeling better Wendy, being out and about and seeing Spring arrive at last must help so much. Great photos, I love the duck!

    I saw the pheasant eat each and every one of my wood anemones, I chased him off but he just came back later. Sometimes having a garden full of wildlife is a mixed blessing.

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    1. Thanks Jessica. I think a spell of good weather will definitely help boost my energy. It's a shame you've lost your wood anemones; your pheasant certainly likes to dine on some of your loveliest flowers!

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  3. Sorry to hear you haven't been well, glad you are feeling better though. What a terrible shame about your bees. Will you replace them, or wait for your other bees to breed? (I'm not sure how it works). Isn't it great that Spring is finally catching up, it feels like we've had to wait forever!

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    1. Thanks Paula. I may split one of my strongest colonies into two later in the summer. If the bees want to swarm i.e. half of them want to fly off anyway, then I'll take advantage of this.

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  4. Lovely photographs - real proof that the seasons are changing after all. We're even further behind with our planting and sowing of veg - potatoes not in yet.

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    1. Thanks Ian. I'm relieved to get those potatoes in, but there are still too many seeds still in packets for me to slow down.

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  5. Lovely to see everything thriving Wendy - sorry to hear you have been ill - hope you are feeling a bit better now. I am sure you will catch up with everything - there is so much to do at this time of year isn't there - I keep saying to myself - one job at a time - but I get so easily distracted. Wonderful pics - especially the wood anemones. I have noticed some self-seeded celandine in my garden which I am rather pleased with - no doubt I will be moaning about it when in takes over the garden.

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    1. Thanks Elaine. I don't think there are enough hours in the day at the moment for gardening. It's lovely you've discovered some celandine, even if it might take over a bit later on.

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  6. Sorry to read that you have been ill recently, hope you are feeling better now and what a shame you have lost a colony of bees - they are such precious things for our gardens. Like you I managed to capture a photo of a peacock butterfly sunning itself in our garden earlier in the week and yesterday I was photographing wood anemones whilst we were walking in local woods - they were like little white stars along the forest floor, so pretty:)

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  7. Thanks Rosie. It's sad the bees just couldn't survive until the good weather arrived. It has been wonderful seeing the butterflies out in the sun and the wood anemones look beautiful spread across the ground, don't they?

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  8. Beautiful photos - lovely to see the arrival of butterflies, bees and Spring flowers.

    So sorry you've been ill - hope you are feeling a lot better now and sorry too about the loss of a colony of bees - it must be very upsetting for you.

    Love the Wood Anemones - we have a small patch in the garden. There was no sign of life a few weeks ago and suddenly there's a mass of leaves and flowers :)

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    1. Thanks Caroline. I was upset to discover the bees; in early March I thought they would be OK. I love the brief beauty of the wood anemones; they do suddenly appear and then after a short period of flowering they disappear under the bluebells.

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  9. Hi Wendy, so sorry you have been so unwell but glad you are feeling better now. I have a chest infection myself which of course has done no favours for my ever present, severe respiratory problems so I know what a horrible time you've had :-( Sorry too about the bees, difficult times for bee keepers generally from what I have read.

    Lovely to see your Blackcap, they only ever visit me during the winter. The flowers are beautiful too especially my favourite wildflower the Primrose :-) Wood Anemones are such pretty little flowers, we have ancient woodland locally where I look forward to seeing them each year. How lovely that you have ancient woodland right next to your property...lovely for the bees too :-)

    Ducks nesting as well! It really does sound idyllic there! Lovely to see the butterflies also...and great photos throughout.

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    1. Thanks Jan. Sorry to read that you've not been well yourself and hope you're better soon. I'm relying on the finer weather to get rid of the last of the winter bugs, at least.

      You are right; I don't think it has been a good year generally for most beekeepers because the weather has been really difficult for the bees.

      We are fortunate that we're close to some lovely woodland and so can enjoy the spring flowers there. And the bees certainly love the Wood Anemones and the Bluebells.

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  10. You have had quite a time of it - lung infection and flu! I do hope you are feeling 100% soon!
    Sad news loosing a colony of bees - I can imagine it must be upsetting!
    What delightful blooms, we have had our first bumblebees and I would suspect it may be a long time before I spot a butterfly up here!
    Super pictures!

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    1. Thanks Angie. I'm feeling fine now. I'm quite fond of my bees so I am upset that I've lost some. Glad you've had your first bumblebees; I think spring is reaching us all at last.

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  11. Oh you POOR thing, flu is bad enough but to have a lung infection too....I hope you are feeling well now.

    What a BEAUTIFUL set of pics, they really cheered me up, especially the close ups of those wonderful butterflies.

    How awful to lose a colony of bees, the weather has been dreadful and must have a terrible effect on many species, good luck with the rest of the bees.

    How lucky you are to be able to see the wood anemone, I've never seen it but anemone are one of my favorite flowers and are just popping up now.

    I know what you mean about being behind, I think we're all two months behind with everything......let's hope we have a good year weather wise so we can get out and catch up.

    A lovely post.....as always.xxxx

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    1. Thanks Snowbird. I'm glad to be feeling better at last. I'd been looking out for my first butterfly, so I was delighted to see these two. I think you're right that my bees are just one example of how many species have suffered in our cold spring. Hopefully everything will benefit now from some warm sun - and we can make up for lost time!

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  12. The wood anenome is a gorgeous bloom, you're lucky to have them.
    We have female blackcaps visit, but no male - and my friend has the males and no females...we live only 60 or so yards apart and provide the same foods, I still live in hope for a male though.
    I had to look up the comma butterfly - I've never seen one, but we do have the lovely peacocks. Bumble bees have been out in force all weekend here too, they are delightful to watch. Sorry that you have lost a colony of bees. I'd love some but it wouldn't be sensible where we live.
    Your duck made me smile, they're such comical creatures!
    Enjoy your beautiful Spring flowers. Hope you are fully recovered now.
    Very best wishes
    Rose
    x

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    1. Thanks Rose. It's interesting that you should mention the male/female Blackcaps; I've only seen male Blackcaps this year here and locally and I've been waiting to see a female. Commas and Peacocks aren't unusual here, but there are some butterflies I would expect to see that I haven't seen for a while - certainly not last year. And our visiting ducks are characters, but I just wish they would nest somewhere sensible.

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  13. What fabulous photos! You're so lucky to have all that wildlife in reach. I do my best by planting things for bees and I have a tame robin that enjoys my digging sessions. Love the blackcap photo especially :)

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    1. Thanks W&W. It's great to hear you have a bold robin; they quickly learn it's worth following a gardener about! I'm delighted to see the male Blackcap, and, as I said above, I'm now hoping to see a female.

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  14. Hi Wendy, Sorry to hear that you have been poorly, I hope you are continuing to improve, the spring sunshine will help. I'm sure you'll be able to catch up soon, I think everyone is a bit behind this year. Sorry to hear about the bees that must make you sad, a difficult long winter for bees. Annie x

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    1. Thanks Annie. I'm definitely feeling much better because of this spell of lovely warm weather. I think the long, cold winter was the last blow for the bees after a cold, wet summer; my surviving bees really need a "perfect" summer now to build up.

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  15. Hi Wendy, glad you are feeling better again, and I think you have timed it just about right, it is only just warm enough to be sowing seeds etc. I think we are all careering around trying to catch up, and the special offers I am bombarded with almost daily suggests that the plant and seed suppliers have been suffering as well. Lovely primroses and butterflies, and so sad about the bee colony. As you say, all to frequent an experience judging by what a friend of mine who is an experienced bee keeper says. He counts it as a miracle if he doesn't lose a colony nowadays.

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    1. Thanks Janet. I think I'm too tempted to keep comparing this year with other years but I'll just have to accept that everything is going to be later this year. And I've been talking to other local beekeepers this week and it seems many colonies have been lost this winter.

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  16. Wendy I love these beautiful images of spring!!!

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  17. So sorry to hear that you have been ill, hope you are feeling much better now that spring seems to have arrived. Fancy your pheasants eating your anemones while mine ignore those and stick to fritillaries! Primroses everywhere mean springtime to me, such a pretty flower!

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    1. Thanks Pauline - I feel so much better now. I certainly share your love of primroses; it's lovely to see that they are still flowering and looking wonderful.

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  18. Your garden is wonderful and the photos were very enjoyable. I have been working through health issues this past winter so I can appreciate your feeling of having missed some of the spring.

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    1. Thanks Charlie. Sorry to hear you haven't been well. Hopefully warm spring weather will rejuvenate us all.

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  19. I often feel that way...so overwhelmed and as if I will never ever get it all done. I have made some headway, so I hope we can enjoy it all very soon. I wish the same for you. I so enjoyed all the wildlife in your garden.

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    1. Thank you Michelle. Yes; there is always so much to do at this time of year. Fortunately, I do feel as though I am starting to make some progress at last.

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  20. Beautiful photographs, and I agree the anemones should be enjoyed in their own right, they are lovely! So sorry to hear about the bees, it must be very upsetting. Keep well! Helen.

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    1. Thanks Helen. The anemones are really blooming this year, they're looking stunning. I was very sad to lose this colony, and also surprised, because they'd always been such a strong one.

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  21. I do so identify with the "will I catch up" sensation! Everything was so slow here and now it seems that everything which should have happened in March and early April is happening right now. So sorry to hear about your bees. Another friend who is a bee keeper had the same experience just last week. And I too love wood anemones. I would say they are my favourite flower except that I know I will change my mind all summer long!

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. I agree that suddenly there's March, April and May gardening to do all at once. And I'm glad I stopped overlooking the wood anemones because I was impatient to see bluebells; I've since discovered some local woods where the ground, at this time of year, has been a beautiful white haze.

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