A Christmas present to inspire future generations

On the first day of Christmas.....

....my Husband gave to me
 some money so that I can keep bees

Isn’t it exciting?  As a child I used to love wandering around the countryside with Nanny Brown being taught the names of trees, plants, butterflies and birds. Since launching Meadowmat 2 years ago my passion for wildlife has been revived and I’ve become super-keen to pass that enthusiasm to my Grandchildren, before they decide they know everything. Just like my Grandmother did with me.

 Last year I had the opportunity to take part in a beekeeping taster day run by David Wootton.  I jumped at the chance, thoroughly enjoyed my day and then that was it, I was hooked.

The best thing about bees

I'm looking forward to seeing more bees about the place
and having lots of honey to share

Aside of course from the prospect of spreading home-made honey on my toast of a morning, and having my own fruit, veg and flowers pollinated by the bees from my hive, I am just fascinated by the social structure of the beehive and the way they can thrive without mobile phones, tablets, cars, supermarkets and self help books. 

Call me an old hippy but I admire the way in which these creatures all contribute to a common cause....their community. 

I have booked an all singing, all dancing beekeeping course for April 2014.  It’s not an insignificant amount of money but the price does include 3 days tuition AND a beehive and I truly believe that it will be worth every penny just to help the honeybee.

Why take up beekeeping?

My Son on his wedding day
He holds the key to the sustainability
of the family farm

The second wonderful thing about going on this beekeeping course is that my eldest son, Andy will be coming along too.  One on one time with my offspring is a very rare commodity indeed.  I’m proud to say that all three of my Children have grown into well rounded, independent people with common sense, jobs, great personalities and busy social lives.  All three have flown the nest.  The eldest two live locally and I see them almost every day but although our lives touch frequently, we rarely spend any quality time together.  To have Andy to myself for 3 days and to develop a shared interest (one that will hopefully passed onto one of the Grandsons) will be just super.

I’m also hoping that between us, Andy, the bees and myself will be able to influence my Husband to make a few changes around the farm to help support wildlife.

Changing the mindset of a farmer

My husband, Ed, was brought up and educated in an era where wildlife came second to cropping.  Full stop. End of. He’s of that mindset that if something on the farm isn’t bringing in a profit it should be sold, moved on or eliminated.  Which is why I go out to work.....I wouldn’t want him to get the idea that I’m detrimental to his ledgers. 

Modern farmers – and that includes my Andy – take a more holistic approach and aim to find a balance where the farmland is able support the “owner’s” family, the families of those who work on the farm and/or support the local businesses who supply services such as engineering, transport, accountancy and agronomy.  Which means, I hope, that Andy will be introducing more wild flowers, bird boxes, native trees and hedges to the farm.

This Christmas will benefit wildlife and wellbeing

So for the first day of Christmas my husband thought he was giving me cash.  What he really gave me was a chance to spend some quality time with my firstborn, a new hobby, and the hope that the younger generation and their offspring will  be far more wildlife friendly.

Can we have too many bees?

I recently spotted an article in The Independent that raises concerns over the humble honey bee.  No, it wasn't about this summer's awful weather, or about infections being spread by the varroa mite, it was about truly well meaning people and organisations who are doing their best to help the species by setting up urban hives.

The article states that in 2008 there were 1,617 (very precise number) bee colonies in London and the surrounding area and by this year, the number has more than doubled to 3,337; BUT the average honey yield from each hive has dropped - exact figures are going to be released in late october/early november.   The London Beekeepers Association suspect that there may be more bees in London than there is food to sustain them.

That makes sense....I kinda liken honey bees to my free-range chickens.   Jennifer and Jemima are able to mess about in my garden scoffing slugs and bugs all day long, but I still give them proper chicken food...just to be sure that they do have enough nutrients.   In return I recieve more eggs than I can cope with and end up giving them away to work colleagues.

With Bees, making sure they are well nourished must be pretty difficult.  After all, even though they are classed as livestock, they're not fenced in and only the bestest James Bond type gadgets could ever tell the beekeeper what they get up to in a day.

So, should beekeepers also plant flowers?  I think so. If you want to benefit from nature, you should return the compliment by making some sort of contribution.  Whether it be creating a living green roof, planting a wildflower meadow, filling a window box with colourful bee-friendly blooms or donating to one of the many charities that have the land and the resources to do whatever is needed to support these tiny but essential creatures.

PS  Does anyone know how many flowers are needed to support a colony of honey bees for one summer?  I'd love to find that out

Is a wildflower meadow like a lawn with weeds in?

I was honoured to be asked to chat to Ken Crowther about Meadowmat on BBC Radio Essex this afternoon.  Well, honoured and very VERY nervous. Happily the team there are used to neurotic people like myself and I was soon put at ease.  So much so that my allotted 20 minute spot passed very quickly indeed.

Meadowmat, a great way to create wildlife habitat

Ken's first question was "Is meadowmat just turf with weeds in it?" and in all fairness, I'm sure plenty of people, including my beloved husband, would say tha it is.  After all, if some of the plants in my meadowmat were to spring up in my lawn, I'd probably do my best to eradicate them.  But, a weed is simply a wild flower in the wrong place, and in the right place, they're beautiful both visually and ecologically.

200 years ago, if there was such a thing as Meadowmat, it would probably have been regarded as a poor-man's medicine cabinet....I'm kicking myself for not saying that earlier.  Wild flowers have been used to produce herbal remedies for centuries with their recipes being handed down from generation to generation.  Funny how modern technology has all but killed off traditional skills...but that's a whole other argument.

wild flowers and bees are inter-dependant

Wild flowers evolved alongside pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies and as a result, they're interdependant.  Flowers need bees, bees need flowers. Simple as.  And as Ken and I discussed, vast quantities of ancient wild flower meadows have been lost since the second world war; modern farmers need to concentrate on food production, road verges are not always managed for the full benefit of wild flowers and so gardeners are the people who are best placed to help re-create and care for wild flower meadows --- no matter what size----to help support UK wildlife.

So is Meadowmat like garden turf with weeds in?  I think not. Meadowmat is a wild flower meadow on a roll and it makes the important task of rebuilding our population of wild flowers and pollinating insects into an absolute joy. Garden turf is a joy too...for what is a garden if it doesn't have a lawn?

The wonders of willow and my plans for guerilla gardening

One of my regular dog walks takes me along a farm track that runs between two wheat fields for about 3/4 of a mile before reaching a fairly intensively managed hay meadow nestled between buildings and a small wooded area. 

white dead nettle

As Spud, Lola, Rosie and I traversed the wheat field at the weekend I was amazed to hear a subtle buzzing off to my left; it was a sunny day but I still didn't expect to meet a bumble bee in the middle of such a pollen-free monoculture.  I kept a close eye on the narrow grass verge after that and spotted a few dead-nettles and some speedwell but nothing that I imagined would attract such a big fat bee, until that was, I had crossed the hay meadow and rounded the wood.
All of a sudden I was hit by a wall of sound, a bustling choir of humming, droning,whirring wings, bees of all shapes, sizes and designs feasting on a willow tree.

willow in full flower

Now I have never thought of the willow as a wild flower, but mine eyes have been opened.  When few other plants are blooming, this little tree is a valuable source of nectar for insects just out of hibernation; and when the willow finishes, there will be may blossom, brambles, dog roses and a whole field of cultivated peas to nourish them. 
After the peas have finished flowering though, I suspect there might be a bit of a lull in the pollen supply for these busy buzzy creatures.  The hay meadow is kept well fed so as to maximise yield, weeds will have been eliminated from the surrounding crops, and most of the land that cannot be ploughed has turned to scrub.  Solution........I must turn guerilla and start sowing wild flower seeds wherever there is a chance the plants will survive. 

My mission, in my own small way, will be to bring wild flowers back to survive side by side with intensive farming.  I have 4 main challenges; lack of rainfall (can't change that and sadly it rules out any thoughts on using Meadowmat), the farmer, my husband, does not believe in flower power (fine, if he doesn't help me, I won't cook his tea or wash his clothes), there is a thriving community of rabbits who may well consume the fruits of my labour and ditto for the roe deer.
At EcoBuild, I finally got to have a good chat with Nick Mann of Habitat Aid who sold me a packet of "Meadow Anywhere" wild flower seeds.  These are my secret weapons.  Wish me luck.

plants for pollinators

Take a look at Q Lawns' new video featuring two different ways to encourage pollinating insects into your garden.

Penny Bennett Architects' gazebo with a green roof

Wild flower meadows are lovely, but they're not everybody's first choice.  Living green roofs on the other hand don't affect the way your garden can be used, but they do have a whole heap of benefits for butterflies, bees and householders.
You'll find the video on Youtube by clicking on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVsYVkMl-kk

Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and other beneficial insects

Today, I recieved in the post a copy of the book "Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and other beneficial insects" by Jan Miller-Klein. 

I've not had time to study it in detail yet, but a quick flick through has left me itching to put aside a whole afternoon to be spent in a comfy chair with a pot of tea, a log fire and a fruit cake, just reading this book and learning so much more about ways to nurture and support the flying minibeasts that are so important to our eco-system.

Jan's book takes us through the four seasons, telling us which butterflies and bees are likely to be active and which plants they need to supply them with nectar and with food for their caterpillars.  I'm not surprised to see that many of the plant species Jan describes are in Meadowmat and how many could be plug-planted into Meadowmat or planted alongside it to make even more valuable habitat. All of the  plants in the book are beautifully photographed and described with sensible advice on how best to cultivate them and what to grow alongside them.

This is a great book for anyone who enjoys (or would like to enjoy) gardening for wildlife