One of our Twitter followers, @Placepot, a keen organic Allotmenteer, who has just taken up beekeeping too, recently helped out a more experienced beekeeper to capture his first 'Bee Swarm'. A rather thrilling experience and one certain to make the heart race a little.
Photographs kindly supplied by Wayne
Follow him on Twitter @Placepot
This artwork, by Louise Bird, is currently on show at:
Market Cross Crafts
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk
Website http://www.burystedmundsartgallery.org
Twitter @BStECraftShop
It’s great to see that Capel Manor College is leading by example, with this fabulous example of a Bee & Bug stack.
One of the great things about making one of these stacks is that they can be made from old wooden pallets, fir cones, plant stems, bricks, etc and endless amounts of imagination.
Find out more about Capel Manor’s courses
Photograph kindly sent it by @ZenThing
An experienced beekeeper and keen Twitter addict, Bernie Moss Perkins very kindly shared these photos of his own Honey bees foraging for pollen and nectar on this Blackthorn (Sloe) bush, and I was immediately reminded of my love of going foraging in late autumn, often whilst an early frost dusts the local landscape, with its tiny crystals.
Without bees there would be far fewer Blackthorns bushes being pollinated, and the keenly anticipated Sloe berry harvest would be greatly reduced, causing great hardship to many species of birds, just as they need to stock-up for the long winter ahead.
And one of my greatest autumnal pleasures would be denied me: the making of Sloe Gin.
Photographs kindly sent in by Bernie Moss Perkins @TheChoirBoy
One of our keen followers, and a lover of bees, kindly sent in this recipe and a photograph of the ones her daughter made.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Where there's honey, bees won't be far away - thank goodness these ones are just made from marshmallow, chocolate and rice bubbles.
30 - 50 minutes
5 minutes
20
1. Place the rice bubbles in a large bowl. Place the butter and marshmallows in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes or until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the butter mixture to the rice bubbles and stir until well combined. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
3. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Rub your hands with oil to lightly grease. Use your hands to roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the rice bubble mixture into oval shapes. Place on the lined tray. Use a small sharp knife to score the rice bubble shapes lengthways.
4. Place the choc melts in a sealable plastic bag. Place the bag in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on Medium/500watts/50%, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate melts. Cut a small hole in 1 corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the rice bubble shapes. Arrange 2 flaked almonds in the indentation on each rice bubble shape to make wings. Set aside for 15 minutes or until set. Serve.
· You can make this recipe up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Photography kindly sent in by @Theodora8
You can get the original recipe from here Taste.com
Of things to come
A great photo of a honey bee foraging for pollen on a pale pink rose from last summer, it’s pollen sacks bulging.
Kindly sent in by Lincoln Green - http://www.twitter.com/lincolngreen
This is a stunning photograph. Carefully cropped, the monochroming of the flower heads and background further enhance the beauty of the honey bee featured foraging amongst the flowers. Simple, yet dramatic. Brilliant.
Taken by Craig Clark
For more details on Craig’s work see here – http://www.f-nine.co.uk/
Or follow him on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/craigclark1411
Great photo of honey jars on a stall in Takayama, Japan. I particularly love the label.
Kindly sent in by Clay Harris
Old BumbleI remember
The days
When you could fly
From wood to lea
Hedgerow
All the wayNo fencing
No block paving
No endless acreage
Ploughed edge to edge
But room to dawdle
Among the foxgloves
And sunny honeysuckle...Ah, by my furry knees
Times long gone
Lunch was at the Dog Rose
With warm lavender till tea
Then home
While long shadows overtook
The neat lawns
Cut too short for clover nowHome to snooze
A honeyed dream
Of summer daysWith hedgerow
All the way
Poem written by Trisha Herlihy
Photographs kindly supplied by Trisha Herlihy
THE HONEY LOVER
I eat my peas with honey,
I've done it all my life,
It makes my peas taste funny,
But it keeps them on my knife.
THE BEEKEEPER
There was a man who loved the bees,
He always was their friend,
He sat around upon their hives,
But they stung him in the end.
A SWARM
A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hayA swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoonBut a swarm in July
Is not worth a fly.
Authors: Unknown
Illustration from http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/bee-clipart/images/bee-clipart-5...
