Preparations for a garden
This past weekend while working on the deck I also rented a rear tine tiller and turned over the soil in "the dog run". This is the area where I keep the 3 honeybee hives. I've decided to give my little Italian friends something to do in my backyard this Spring & Summer. After I returned from a business trip to Valdosta, Georgia on Monday, I planted sweet corn, watermelon, giant sunflower, cantaloupe & a mix of wildflowers. I did this all from seed. It is my hope to "fill up" some of the dead space in the dog run with some vegetation and bright colors. I'm currently watering the whole area really well and this should start the germination process. Also, I started germinating some Anise Hysopp & Bee Balm indoors last night. I will also plant these in/around the hives.
I've never planted a garden before and don't really know what to expect. The soil is very dark and rich in color. I noticed a lot of earth worms when I was tilling the area. Earth worms are good aren't they? I was always told that worms were a sign of good soil. I planted the seeds "guerrilla style". Meaning that I didn't concern myself with planting them in perfect rows, spaced perfectly apart. I figure that I get what I get, and that will be good enough. I just want to fill the dead space and if I get something for my efforts, it will be a big plus.
Does anyone else plant for their bees?
1 comment:
I do plant for my bees, but since I am a gardener first and a beekeeper second, I plant for a lot of other reasons, too. One of my bees' favorite plants is borage, an annual herb with blue flowers that always has bees on it during the warm weather. Borage also reseeds naturally from year to year, which is nice. I'd recommend that you add some to your garden if possible, as you will surely see your girls visiting its blooms. So far this Spring (up north here in PA), I've seen honeybees on warm days visiting crocus, hellebore, winter aconite, and some winter-blooming honeysuckles (much different flowers than the summer-blooming types). You will find many honeybees on your anise hyssop when it blooms!
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