Absolutely beautiful!

But what are you feeding the hen? Or did she come from Dr Seuss?

Glad to see the lily still going. I'd have said four ...

Are there kitties?

Happy House anniversary. And thank you for sharing the photos.

Oh, and about the "Things I've Learnt" post:

1. Thanks for the cucumber tip, will get the cucumbers naked before I put the in the frig from now on.

2. I've learned that if you put up a humming bird feeder they will come.

Happy 21st!
Once a punk always a punk despite the grey hair and liking for BBC radio 3.

Happy 21st, champagne all round? Or should that be mead with all the buzzy familiars? Good to see you post

That's weird, I was exactly 21 years old exactly 21 years ago on 9th August 1995

Mildred also had surgery for her loose bottom, like ladies of a certain age do.

And the Debster lillies looked amazing.

In some ways it only feels like a year or two since we moved, in others it is like a lifetime of change.

Couldn't and wouldn't have done it without BW :)

I believe (from a bit of Google Fu) that it's Siberian Squill that is that colour. (ref http://www.beverlybees.com/blue-pollen-honeybees-siberian-squill/ ) I'd never heard of it, but it's certainly defined by having blue pollen, which I'd also never heard of 'til now...

It turns out that Spanish Bluebells also have blue pollen, but I assume you'd have known if the field were covered in bluebells (plus, well, not natural habitat etc. etc.)

Ah... apologies Lyle, I should have said, it's Echium Vulgare, being grown for the pharmacuetical industry. Not dissimilar to borage as a honey (very pale, very sweet and quite light in flavour).

And we only know because the local farmer is the first to grow it round here, and he has to tell us what he is growing/spraying/doing so he can tick the 'notified local beekeepers' box on his official return.

Simple version:
http://honeybeesuite.com/vipers-bugloss-a-top-tier-honey-bee-plant/echium-vulgare/

Complex version:
http://honeybeesuite.com/vipers-bugloss-a-top-tier-honey-bee-plant/echium-vulgare/

Pollen identification is notoriously difficult - some are obvious from experience and being observant of what is in flower locally, but often a microscope is required.

Ah, excellent - that didn't come up on any of the things I looked at, including a whole pollen-colour identifier thing.

I know of Viper's Bugloss - I recall parents talking about it , probably while on holiday in Somerset a *long* time ago - but a) wouldn't have recognised it on a bet, and b) didn't know it had pharmacological uses. I seem to recall it being more of a weed. :-)

Interesting reading up on it though - looks like it's a pig to get rid of, with roots going down several feet(!) so Local Farmer might have issues with it if it's not a long-term plan/crop...

You seem to have CDs on the front of the hive - is that simply to identify different hives or for another reason?

You seem to have CDs on the front of the hive - is that simply to identify different hives or for another reason?

Old CDs are woodpecker prevention Margo. The woodpeckers see a reflection of themselves and fly off. Well... that's the idea, and it's worked for 20 years so far.
*touches wood*

Mr BW was showing a couple of young women (18 and 21) around the apiary last week. I cleaned up the kit box before they came - and found a lot of Freeserve and Line One 'get online' CDs that were older than they were...