Friday 19 July 2013

Summer Evenings: A Scented Garden, Badgers and Bees


Our local badgers: Out and about in daylight at this time of year.






I must admit, I do love the heatwave we're having here at the moment. It's true there are downsides, for example, I'm concerned about local wildlife as natural sources of water dry up, so I'm constantly topping up bird baths and putting out extra trays of water to help visiting creatures. Another downside is that the garden has become very dry and dusty (although it does tend to look tired in July anyway when it loses the freshness of early summer). But even if the garden isn't looking its best - it's a lovely place to be in the evenings when the temperature has cooled down a little and the sun is setting, because then it's filled with beautiful scents.

I have one of my favourite plants for scent - honeysuckle - all over the smallholding and by the house. It's been planted in our new hedges, it climbs up the house and the new barn and it's also right by the back door entwined with roses...








I've also planted jasmine outside the back door and next to the summer house and the scent of the flowers is stunning.  Other scents include lavender in the herb bed and the scents from the evening primroses.  These are really weeds, but they have a fabulous scent at dusk.  There are strong scents, too, from the roses climbing over the pergola (before the house) and the flowers in the baskets by the front door...






I also love this time of day outside because I get to see wildlife, like our local badgers, that I don't usually see when the evenings are darker.  These wonderful, shy creatures have taken a while to trust people here, and it's a real privilege that they do so now...






I've also had surprise visitors in the house, like this moth that appeared in the kitchen because the doors and windows are wide open.  After learning a bit from some terrific moth posts on other people's blogs I'm going to ID it as one of the hawk moths. But I wonder if moth experts can help - could it be a Privet Hawkmoth?





Collecting a Swarm of Bees

I'm looking at my bees in the evenings at the moment because it's too hot to wear the bee suit in full sun. Early one evening about four weeks ago there was a surprise in the apiary when I discovered a swarm clustering near one of my hives. I knew they couldn't be mine - instead they were visiting bees that were probably attracted to an area where other bees had already settled.

The bees had clustered quite high up in a hedge and so I needed a ladder - and some help to collect them. I called David and persuaded him to climb the ladder with a cardboard box (the idea is that all the bees are knocked in one go into this from the branch they're clinging to).  Meanwhile, I held the ladder at the bottom. As I was doing this, I remembered that the bee-books warn you that cardboard boxes don't always hold the weight of thousands of the bees and they often suddenly fall through the bottom in one lump.

It was very possible I could have had thousands of bees emptying over my head...

A local swarm of bees (this one is very high up in a tree) 




So; I was dreading a shower of bees all over me, but - fortunately - it didn't happen, because they were clinging fast to their branch (and each other). It actually took three or four shakes to dislodge them and, after each shake, some were brought down the ladder in the box. On the ground below, I'd placed an empty hive with an old bed sheet spread out in front - and one end of this was tucked into the entrance of the hive.  The bees were gently tipped onto the sheet and then I sat down among them and slowly steered them up into the hive.

It was an amazing thing to do; the bees had obviously filled themselves up with honey before they left their previous home because they were very docile.  Although I wore a suit for protection just in case, these bees weren't in a stinging mood and it was possible to sit in the middle of thousands of them without being buzzed.  The whole experience was very calming.

It's vital to make sure that the queen is there - the bees will only stay if she is. If not, they'll all fly back to her.  I didn't see her, but as the bees were happy to stay in the hive, I knew she was about.  I moved the hive to a new spot the next day and the latest news is that the new queen is laying very well and the colony is happily settled in its new home.  I might even get some honey from them this year!





And last of all I love the golden light in summer evenings as the sun sets. Here it is shining on our latest carved fence-post warrior (this one is guarding the honesty box out the front!)



47 comments:

  1. Yup, looks like a privet hawk to me :-) What a beauty.

    Loved seeing your badgers, it's ages since I saw one in the flesh.

    Fascinating about the bees - does this mean you have three colonies now or have I got that wrong?

    Finally, I really like your warrior fence post. Did you carve him or get someone else to do it?

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    1. Thanks CT. The moth is a beauty, I must admit, I'm becoming fascinated by them, too! I now have four colonies, so I'm not back to the five I had before last winter, but I'm happy with four. And we carved the fence post; we now have several around guarding boundaries!

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    2. Moths are addictive! Such sweet friendly creatures.

      Re the fence posts, you should sell them- I'd buy a couple for here :-)

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    3. Well, we do the fence posts as a bit of fun really, but I'm really pleased that you like them - thank you. And I do feel a strong interest in moths coming on!

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  2. I can almost smell the scent of all those lovely plants. How wonderful to be able to have the badgers visiting! I'm glad you both managed to keep the swarm of bees and they are settling down in their new surroundings. Thank you for the lovely comment about the walled garden. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah. The scents of the honeysuckle and jasmine, just outside the back door (which is open at the moment) are particularly beautiful at dusk. The badgers are very welcome here, I expect they're appreciating the peanuts as the ground is quite hard and dry now for digging. And I'm pleased the bees stayed; they could easily have left for somewhere else.

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  3. What a lovely post, how wonderful to get a whole new hive of bees. I'm afraid I don't know what your moth is. I had an elephant hawk moth caterpillar in the garden last year; it was huge. Beautiful flowers by the way, the honeysuckle and white rose are gorgeous together.

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    1. Thanks CJ. It is a bonus collecting extra bees in this way! I'll have to wait and see if they build up enough honey for me to take some later in the summer. I imagine a hawk moth caterpillar is huge; these adult hawk moths are quite large. This one took over the kitchen as it was trying to get out (and I was trying to catch it to free it)

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  4. The garden has some great scents at the moment, but none better than the honeysuckle. It's so powerful it stops me in my tracks. Well done on catching the swarm. I'm sure it's quite a challenge.

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    1. Thanks Jessica. I think honeysuckle is my favourite of the garden scents and I love coming across it in the hedgerows on walks, too. It's so powerful. And the bee books make collecting a swarm sound so straightforward, but I wonder if there's ever a text-book swarm!

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  5. It was a brave thing to do to collect a swarm of bees - I do hope that they reward you with plenty of honey.
    I am sure your identification of the moth is correct. Last year I had several hummingbird hawk moths and I just loved watching them as they hovered over the flowers feeding from the nectar but I have not seen any this year.
    How wonderful to have your badgers appearing in the daylight - they only come at night to us.
    Your posts are always a pleasure to read and your photos lovely.

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    1. Thank you for your kind comment, Rosemary. It must have been wonderful watching the hummingbird hawk moths where you are; I have seen them here but not for a long time. And I'm pleased to hear you have badgers visiting, too. It's only at this time of year we get to see our local badgers in daylight. And fingers crossed for the honey; this new colony does seem to be building up their stores quickly.

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  6. How lovely to see the badger, they are such magnificent creatures. You cannot beat the smell of honeysuckle as the evening draws in, beautiful pictures xxx

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    1. Thanks Fran. I'm very fond of badgers, so I easily forgive them for digging up parts of the smallholding. I'm just pleased they're here. And I've planted honeysuckle almost everywhere, so that the scent follows me around!

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  7. Fascinating post. Amazing that you can get so close to the badgers.

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    1. Thanks Emily. It does take a while to gain the badgers' trust, but although they're still easily frightened, the lure of the peanuts wins!

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  8. It is certainly time for scented flowers in the garden in particular the honeysuckle, lavender and roses. We have a honeysuckle and white rose that grow together over the fence. How wonderful to see your badger visitors. We know we have a badger around as our neighbours have seen it but we've never spotted it yet. We sat up late one night watching the bats hoping we'd see the badger, hedgehog or fox that we know visit the gardens around us:)

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    1. Thanks Rosie. I planted the honeysuckle and the rose next to each other without any thoughts that they would eventually entwine, but I'm glad they've grown together. And I've tried to take night photos of badgers with the trail camera (fixed to a tree) but I've never had any pictures yet. I just seem to capture the odd rabbit and lots of empty views!

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  9. hello wendy! bloghopped here, and really enjoyed your post... i used to live in essex, and then herts before moving to the SW.I still have family 'up there' each area has its charm, its lovely corners. I love your carved man, and the wizard carving in your sidebar! he;s lovely!

    Leanne x

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    1. Hello Leanne - and thanks for visiting. I agree, every area does have its lovely places. We've several carved fence posts, now, carved by us, but we didn't carve the wizard - we had a woodcarver visit to carve him out of a yew log. We left the decision of the final carving up to him, and we're delighted that he came up with the wizard.

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  10. Wonderful photos of the Badgers - how superb to have them visiting in daylight :)

    Yes, it is a Privet Hawkmoth - lucky you - never had one here. I live in hope :)

    Lovely to read of all your scented flowers in the garden - we have jasmine and honeysuckle over an arch on the patio and they smell beautiful. I tried night scented stock in the front garden last year and, although the flowers were disappointing to look at, the smell was amazing.

    Do so enjoy reading of your beekeeping exploits. You were very brave with the swarm so glad it all worked out and hope you do get honey this year.

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    1. Thanks Caroline. We're lucky here that the badgers are visiting in daylight so that we can get a good view of them. I'm pleased I got the ID right on the moth; I was really surprised at its size. The scents in your garden sound wonderful; I've never had much luck with night scented stock either, but I should have another go at planting them because the scent is beautiful. And I'm glad you enjoy my beekeeping rambles, the swarm was so calm it was a real pleasure being among the bees.

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  11. Loved the bee swarm adventure. I think it's a magical moment when something like tht happens. So wonderful to see a badger and perfect that you had the camera. I love climbers, with archways and pergolas. I'm trying to get mine going and have planted a jasmine so far, which smells great in these lovely warm evenings. I'm getting an archway put in and want to plant it with a climbing rose and a honeysuckle as they both do so well here.

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    1. Thanks Suzie. Being in the middle of bee swarm was an amazing experience. I was watching these thousands of creatures involved in this natural process of finding a new home. I love the sound of your plans for climbers, the archway with the honeysuckle and rose will be beautiful.

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  12. How wonderful to see the badgers, thank you for sharing your photos :)
    I was watching a re-run of The Victorian Farm the other night when they collected a swarm of bees - they ARE fascinating creatures. So pleased you've got them settled in their new home, hope there's honey a plenty from them.
    The roses and honeysuckle are quite stunning, I can imagine the beautiful perfume filling the air.
    Your latest fence post warrior is wonderful, what a guard for the honesty box.
    Rose H
    x

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    1. Thanks Rose. Badgers are such shy, wary creatures it is always a very special moment when they approach. I know when a swarm is placed into a hive the bees may not stay there; they do make up their minds where they want to go after some local scouting around. But in this case, this hive was the obviously the best option! And hopefully our warrior post will deter anyone who is not honest!

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  13. Wonderful badger pics Wendy - what a fantastic thing to see them in daylight. That pink tinge to your moth is beautiful. I've certainly never seen one of those. I do like the sun but this is getting too much for me now!

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    1. Thanks Em. I guess the badgers show themselves in daylight because they're trusting, and that is a real privilege. The moth was lovely, I wonder now if it is common around here or if I was lucky to see it. And I'm loving the sun, but it is disrupting any routines here (like walking Harry!)

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  14. Love the photos Wendy, what a treat to see your badgers so close up and that moth is lovely.
    I really enjoy reading about all your bees and thats great that you have a new colony. I'm another fan of the rose and honeysuckle combination. Shame we can't smell them too!

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    1. Thanks Annie. The badgers come quite close, so that is a real treat. I'm pleased that I can build up my bee colonies again after losing one last year and having to unite two others, and this new colony looks nice and strong. And although the rose and honeysuckle combination happened by accident, I'm delighted. It's a combination I might try somewhere else.

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  15. Fantastic to be able to see the badgers - the only ones I see are dead at the side of the road. I love the honeysuckle/rose combo too - have you ever tried sucking the nectar out of the honeysuckle flower, so sweet. Rather you than me sitting in the middle of all those bees.

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  16. Now I'm very intrigued by the taste of honeysuckle, I've never thought of it as food before. I imagine this is how the flower got its name. And the swarm of bees was so calm I've felt more at risk of a nasty sting from one or two angry bees buzzing me after I'd looked in a hive then these tens of thousands who weren't interested in me at all. Thanks Elaine.

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  17. Oh goodness me....how THRILLING to be sitting amongst a thousand bees....I was holding my breath reading that!!! I am enjoying tales of beekeeping!!!

    I disturbed a bee nest once in the compost heap and hundreds of bees poured out, the noise was deafening and the sky went black. Somehow I kept calm and dropped the rake, stood very still and closed my eyes and mouth. The commotion lasted a good ten minutes and eventually they all went away and not a one stung me!!! I did have a good hundred still on my clothes though!!

    Oh my...those badgers are fantastic. How amazing that you get to see them in daylight! They are truly awesome!!! How lovely that they trust you.

    I love the smell of honeysuckle at this time of the year too, and buddleia also stock and lilies.

    The pergola is gorgeous.xxxx

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    1. Thanks Snowbird. I'm fascinated to read about your own bee-experience. It is the right thing to do to keep calm, because the bees will get agitated by flapping arms. When I have angry bees trying to attack me I just walk away slowly and calmly until they get bored and fly off! The badgers have gradually learnt to trust, although they will run off at any sudden movement. And I am pleased we built the pergola, it does mean walking under an arch of roses and clematis to the house.

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  18. Such a fabulous post, how lucky you are to have that wonderful garden and wildlife. I think it's certainly best to stay calm with bees around, as you say they'll panic if we do. x

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    1. Thanks Suzy. You are right, bees are very sensitive to how we are around them. Even when I look in the hive I need to do everything calmly, otherwise they become very grumpy.

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  19. Little beats the scent of Honeysuckle in the garden!
    I read with my mouth opened as you were describing you and your OH's attempt at collecting those bees. I even closed my eyes at one point!
    Well done on settling them in their new home - an amazing experience that must have been for you.

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    1. Thanks Angie. I'm not sure how I would have felt if the box had collapsed and thousands of bees had fallen all over me - but they were so calm I think I could have gently brushed them off. This swarm colony is nice and strong, so I expect them to go into the winter well prepared.

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  20. Very pretty moth! ig fan of the fence posts. However, can't say I'd be too happy amongst thousands of bees... I can just about handle a few buzzing around me!

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    1. Thanks Lou Mary. I agree that a few angry bees buzzing around isn't fun! It really does depend on their mood. This swarm just wasn't interested in me, the bees were completely preoccupied. But if bees are hungry, or if there is a storm due or they're just from bad tempered stock, then they do want to sting.

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  21. I'd like to do bees one day but I am not sure I will ever have the space. What is the name of your white rose? It is gorgeous! The badgers seem friendly...
    New follower. I hope you will visit me as well.

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    1. Hello Stacy and thanks for visiting. The white rose is called 'Perpetually Yours'. The badgers have taken a while to trust people, but they do come in very close now. And I hope you are able to keep bees one day, it is a fascinating hobby!

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  22. The honeysuckle and jasmine are really smelling amazing this year. They definitely enjoy the hot weather. xx

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  23. Thanks Debbie. I agree, the scents do seem much more powerful this year. Last year, in all that rain, I don't think I was able to appreciate them much at all.

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  24. What great photos of the badgers! We have badgers round here and know they are in our land at night but we have never managed to get so close. I am impressed with the taking of the swarm. That is quite an undertaking!

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. Good to hear that you have badgers where you are. Taking a swarm is fun, but it does have its challenges. Swarms are often high up or difficult to get to, and there's no guarantee they'll stay where you want them to. They could easily have found a better home!

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