Saturday 31 December 2011

Bee House

My Christmas presents usually contain something for the garden, and this year was no exception as Hubby bought me this lovely bee house. Although it's ceramic, the design is based on the original straw or wicker skeps which have been used for centuries to keep honey bees, though this is for Bumble Bees. It comes with hints and tips on how to attract bees to nest in the house so I shall be siting it at the back of my border in February and keeping my fingers crossed. It would be great if I could get some bees to nest in it, I'll certainly let you know how I get on with it.

I hope everyone's had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for all the good wishes you left on my last post. The parsnips which I dug up from the allotment were delicious served with our Christmas dinner.

Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog this year, and those who have also left comments, they're very much appreciated. May I wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year, and all the best for the 2012 growing season.

21 comments:

  1. Looks like a very Des Res if you happen to be a Bumble Bee. Hope you get some tenants soon!
    Best Wishes for 2012.

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  2. It's so lovely that I can't imagine bees not wanting to live in it. Happy New Year Jo! :)

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  3. What a great gift - how big is it? - I do hope the bees appreciate it. Martyn made a couple of solitary bee 'motels' last year. We didn't get any residents in ours but my sister had one cell occupied.

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  4. The bee hive is lovely Jo....Can't wait to find out what the bees think to it. Happy New year to you and your family.

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  5. I wonder what it is like inside are there honeycomb shaped thingys for them to next in and how will you know if they are in there? Sorry to sound stupid. Am I making a simple beehive too complicated. Best wishes for 2012.

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  6. Lovely present. See you next year.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  7. That's a posh looking abode, it'll be interesting to see what happens!
    Thanks for the thanks, and to you too! Flighty xx

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  8. A most thoughtful present Jo ~ hope that the bees find it pronto. Glad to hear that your parsnips made a tasty addition to your Christmas meal. May the new year treat you and those that you love kindly and may all your flowers and crops flourish xxx

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  9. that's really lovely and will look great in your garden. Happy New Year to you Jo and your family. Amanda x

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  10. What a great present. I'm just reading a book on how to make my garden more ecofriendly so I'm definitely looking at what things I can add to my garden in 2012 to encourage more wildlife. I was the lucky recipient of an oak dibber so I don't have to keep borrowing one when I am up at the allotment.

    I hope you have a very Happy New Year and look forward to more posts in 2012.

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  11. Hello there! Wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful 2012. Ros

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  12. Thanks, Mark. Apparently, it's not as easy as it looks to coax bees to live in it, but we'll give it a go.

    Thanks, Tanya. I'll keep you posted on whether we get any visitors to it.

    It's about a foot tall, Sue. I hope I'm as lucky with it as your sister was with her bee motel.

    Thanks, Tanya. I hope the bees manage to find it, it'll be interesting to see how I get on with it.

    Thanks, Elaine. It's empty inside, but the hints and tips advise putting some hamster bedding, which you can buy at the pet shop, inside for the bees. They actually like to nest in old mouse nests so one of those inside would be even better, but I don't know where I can lay my hands on one of those.

    Thanks, Mum. I'm really pleased with it. I'll be even more pleased if I can get some bees to nest in it.

    Thanks, Flighty. Fingers crossed that the bees like it and nest in it.

    Thanks, Anna. Let's hope that 2012 is a better year weather wise so that our harvests are bountiful.

    Thanks, Amanda. I'm looking forward to getting it in the garden. The hints and tips recommend putting it out in February.

    Thanks, Wellywoman. Hubby bought me a ladybird house last year but I don't think that's been inhabited yet. I love receiving gifts for the garden, they're always very much appreciated.

    Thank you, Ros. Hope 2012 brings everything you wish for.

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  13. Jo, wishing you a very happy new year and the very best for 2012! It's been so lovely to read your blog posts and thanks for taking the time to comment on mine. Good luck with the beehive, it's a very novel present - my top present was Jekka McVicar's herb cookbook and it totally lives up to expectations! Caro x

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  14. That looks great. Happy New Year!

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  15. I love presents for the garden. My favourite has to be my compost bin shaped like a bee hive which my husband got me for our anniversary.Its pretty and its very practical, makes lovely compost (albeit small amounts) and all my veg peelings etc go in there so there's less in the bin.

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  16. Looks lovely. Here's to a lovely year's growing ahead for you. :-)

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  17. Oh it's lovely, what a great present, I really hope you get bees. I was just loving the description in the book you sent of the lady who keeps bees and how they often crash land onto the hive because they come back laden with pollen. Bumble bees are lovely too. All the best for 2012 x

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  18. Dear Jo, What a lovely addition to your garden. I look forward to visiting in 2012. Wishing you a happy and healthy year! P. x

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  19. Very interesting. I need to get one of those.

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  21. Thanks, Caro. The herb cookbook sounds interesting, I'll have to look out for that one.

    Thanks, Damo. I'm looking forward to trying it out, I'll let you know how I get on with it.

    I love the look of those bee hive compost bins, Anne. I've got a dalek and it does the job well, but it's not so pleasing on the eye.

    Thanks, Liz. I have to say that I'm looking forward to getting stuck in with the sowing again, another couple of months and I won't be able to see a window sill for all the seed trays.

    Thanks, Lorna. I hope you're enjoying the book, there's some real characters in there.

    Thanks, Pam. I'm looking forward to getting it placed in the border. The hints and tips recommend setting it out in February so it won't be long.

    I'm hoping that the bees take to it, Becky. I'll let you know how I get on.

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