Sunday, August 04, 2013

Clark County Fair

Antique equipment

Beekeepers Association

Antique saw and antique visitor

Blacksmiths

The goats were my favorite

Judging the goats.



More goats

I want some goats.


In the honey barn.

There were lots of llamas

More llamas.

We're a long way from Peru.

There's Ning.


Ning petting a goat.


Petting another goat.

Petting a chicken.  A strange looking chicken.

Petting a sheep.


He's thinking...  "How do I get out of here and into Daniel's garden?"



Veggies.

More Veggies.

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Bee Forage. 8/3/2013

Bee Garden

Agasstache
 I've been sick this week.  No gardening this weekend.

OK, except.  Fred Meyer had perennials at 3 for price of 2, so I bought 3 6inch pots.  Sedum - in bud.  Agastache, in bloom.  Another Caryopteris.  Not in bud or bloom  The plant I bought earlier has been blooming steadily and is regularly covered by bees.  There is time for this one to bloom and provide forage.

Catnip is blooming.  Some bee foraging.
Oregano continues.  Lots and lots of foraging bees.
Caryopteris continues.  Lots of foraging bees.
Buddleia continues.  occasional bumblebees.
Borage just started this week.  Frequent honeybees.
Thistle started this week.  Frequent honeybees.

Bees are ignoring the Perosvkia, and Melissa, now blooming actively.
Bumblebee on Caryopteris

Bee on Catnip

Borage


Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Kitchen Garden.

Zucchini

Blueberries
Now picking a couple of zucchinis a week.  We've eaten 4 nice zucchinis.  At the moment, all of the flowers are male.  The yellow ones are more tender.

Blueberries are in full season.

Mulberries are near the end.

Shiro plums are in full season.

We are getting a few figs a week.

Starting to get more Sungold tomatoes.

It's nice.

Bee forage. Jul 31.

Melissa in bloom.  Lemon Balm.
Melissa just started blooming.  Not many bees on it yet.  Mostly bumblebees.  Bumblebees seem to be less picky.

Same for this small patch of peppermint.  Its away from the hive so they may not have found it.

Spearmint is not yet blooming.

Honeybees continue to concentrate heavily on Caryopteris and oregano.  They also frequent Lavender flowers.

And actively forage dandelions, in heavy bloom, and thistle, at its peak. 

Bumblebees occasionally feed on the buddleia hybrids.  Not heavily. I had better hopes for them.

They seem unaware of wild carrot, blooming heavily.
Mentha in bloom.  Peppermint.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Fresh fruit today.

Fresh fruit today

Plum "Shiro", Lattarula figs, wild blackberries

Lattarula and Petite negri / Aubique petite figs

Tomato "Black Prince"

Good time for fresh fruits.  Shiro is so juicy it takes a towel to eat it.  First large tomato of the year, Black Prince.  I had a few Sungold and a couple Super Sweet 1000 yesterday.  So good....  Now I know why I do this.