8th of December - Full Moon

 Ever Heard of a Moon Garden?


https://beekeeping.co.uk/products/beryl-cook-beekeeper-tea-towel

- picture credit National Bee Supplies, 
UK Artist, Beryl Cook OBE  (b. 10/09/26 – d. 28/05/08).

Link to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust online shop, check it out some great things to buy reasonably cost effective 5% goes directly to the Trust!



I was reading up today about Bees and thinking on the efficacy of either attempting a Beekeepers course or working on some wild Bumblebee Conservation programme. An interesting few hours of reading and deliberating! 
The temps here are -4°C at night and the frost lingers throughout the daylight hours. 
Companion planting and Soil Certification is on the agenda, reaching the end of National Tree Week 2022 and I'm looking into ways to make the mini orchard more suitable for a kitchen garden from where I can put the surplus onto the Open Food Network. And perhaps sell on a couple jams or chutneys? 
I was reading about a guy who planted an orchard 5-7 years ago and was heartily disappointed to only be bringing "about 20 apples in" from his 10 apple trees and 2 crabs! His wife was talking him into quitting and he was asking around for some advice on ways to improve his cropping.
I use the App on Google 'Moon & Garden' as a fun way to plan my gardening habits, I'm not too sure how I'd explain to the Government Inspector when they request to view my record keeping that, "it's largely dependent on the Moon's Phase", I'll smile nicely and follow that up with some kind of explanation how it's scientific (not witchcraft!) and something to do with water and how the gravitational pull of the moon relating to the distance from Wales at the time in turn effects how the plant draws water from the pot and photosynthesises accordingly. I find that doing my garden chores in this way creates a more natural feel to the garden and helps the plants feel in tune with the wider world.
Being good this should suffice. 
Pollinators to the fore and how best to give them nourishment when the apple blossoms dwindle, winter flowering Pansies in a multitude of colour variations are selling on eBay currently, I like the blues and the indigo stripes, there are yellows shades of gold and various other colours but I find the blues more soothing while I'm dabbling around in my pots. I shall research more on the colours that Bees can see and if they're Ok with the colours that I like too, by and by how that can flavour the honey and personality of the apis pollinating my apples. I'm pretty sure it's called apiology, not something to apologise for. I know there's Bees that live on Lavender farms making pure Lavender Honey from pollinating the Lavenders and I find that quite interesting. 



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