It has been a season full of jobs and change here. A year where I have constantly been behind in my gardening schedule. Perhaps you recall that way back in the "Spring" I had commented that more than likely, I would ve very busy and not have so much time as usual to post threads or react to fellow Stewbie's postings because of the enormous amount of work that I would have to do this year. Well that prediction turned out to be true...in spades! The reasons for this situation had partly to do with the amount of work to be done in this "Master Plan", but also due to the weather which was moist and prevented me to keep on schedule. I mean, I can set plants out in the rain, but I cannot plant, dig or build in the rain. This in combination with the various new things that I wanted to begin and the commitments that I had just turned-out to be one great snowball of tardiness and backlog. It all began back when I decided to resign my job and do a number of things that I wanted to do for myself. Normally when I resign my job every so often it is to travel out into the world for a few years, but this time I wanted to something totally different. I have been able (at this point) to achieve most of my Plan. I have only now to polish-off the various project phases. Once again, this will be dictated by the weather. Hopefully this will explain my sometimes long periods of absence. Here is how the "Master Plan" looks: Master Plan, Part 1: Stop working Master Plan, Part 2: Conservation Courses Enrol in courses and begin Bird conservation actiovities Enrol in beekeeping courses, begin mentorship and acquire bees Master plan, Part 3: Garden Shed and House Remove the old garden shed Construct a new garden house Paint door, shutters and trim Organise the inside of the house Lay a front terrace Lay a back terrace Hang guttering with drainage scheme to capture rainwater and drain-off the excess into the canal Master Plan, Part 4: The New Garden Give up the New Garden Master Plan, Part 5: Racks and Fences Remove and/or re-establish racks and fences in the old garden. Remove racks Re-establish/restore one over by the side terrace Remove all inner fences Relocate and raise the fence along the front of the Old Garden Put a gravity gate at main entrance Move simple gate to create a "Cargo Portal" at the path which divides the flower and veggie portions of the Old Garden Master Plan, Part 6: The Bee Area Build a structure to place hives on Build a Clematis rack to screen-off and force a higher approach trajectory Lay paving tiles in standing/work area Construct a 3-walled (roofed) structure over bees and work area Plant area in front of hives with annuals and perennials Master Plan, Part 7: Other Commitments Evaluate and where necessary cancel overlapping commitments Establish a clear protocol based upon personal importance Today I shall be going to a little course on how to effectively use a GPS instrument in terms of hiking and plotting nest locations in fields. Hereafter then to transfer the coordinates onto say, a google map image and then to print this out to take into the fields. It ought to be a very interesting day. After the "course" I hope to go and observe rutting deer in a nature reserve. Naturally the weather will determine if I make it out to the deer observation place, but the GPS course will take place rain or no rain.
I am exhausted just reading the plan, seems to be a problem with the plan though...when do you have a cuppa tea? Good luck with it all.
Howdy, Sjoerd; Looks good to me, as this past year has re-taught us all the lesson of 'Who is ultimately in control?... Mother Nature, of course!' Therefore all plans have to have a little 'wriggle-room' and, of course, as Chocolate said, 'Tea time, too..' About your bee hives; 1. a trellis of some type to force 'higher-trajectory' take-off and approach is an excellent idea but, 2. I'm not sure that a roof over the hives would be in your best interests, keep in mind that the bees have to find their way back home once they leave on a nectar/pollen scouting/gathering trip although they are very, very good at doing that.. Hank
I now have a Master Plan, thanks to you. My plan is to read your plan and then take a nap! Hank is right about having a structure around the hives. Bees do not like to go into structures, and this would look like an open-sided shed to them. Also, bees like warm and sun (they will sit on the front porch of their hives and sun themselves) and a roofed structure will prevent that. Maybe by not having to build the three-sided structure you'll have a bit of time to have a cup of tea?
I can see why you resigned from you job. There wouldn't be enough time for one. And all the items in your Master Plan sound more fun than going to some old job. Good luck! I can't wait to see all the transformations.
Sounds like an awesome plan, hope the weather cooperates with you. Every time I make a master plan similar to that, "life" starts giggling, slaps me upside the back of the head and sends my plans into the next county. So I usually just wing it.
I'm a catch as catch can sort of person. I do it when the urge strikes and the weather co-operates. Today it is too windy for me to be outside though the cooler weather invites me out to do things. Maybe the wind will die back some now that the sun is out. Good luck with your Master Plan. You can accomplish it all, I know it. But, take time to enjoy your gardens and flowers and the nature preserve. dooley
Hahaha....Too right, CHOCCY--I can guarantee you one thing: there is ALWAYS time for tea 'n bikkies. Always. Well ROCKHOUND--This is the first Master Plan that I have made, but I felt that it was a necessary thing to do, due to the size of the list things that needed to be done. Hello HENRY--You and Chocolate are quite right about making time for tea. It is a necessary part of my days in the lotties. Re: Bees--The trellis is on the side of the bee boxes, in-between the main side walk and my plot. It is to encourage the bees which approach from the side to come in at a level higher, so that people walking on the side walk will not be in their approach path. I do not have anything high or obstructive in front of the hives, so their frontal approach is completely uninhibited. The shed that I am planning will actually be behind the hives where I will stand to work. The roof will be over me and not extend out in front the hive. I will come out approximately even with the front of the hives. CAROLYN--Well C, I just take cat-naps there on the ground where I am working from time to time. ;-) But almost all of the work is done now, so I can take it easy for a while. Thanks WARETROP--This was a good challenge both in terms of the scope of the work and actually finding the time to do it (with Mother Nature's co-operation). Chortle MARLINGARDNER--You've got a good plan there. Like I was telling Hank--The structure will not be the sort that the bees will go into, it will essentially will be over a work area behind the hives and over the top a little bit. I am not sure if the sides will be open all the time. I am weighing the possibility of having some sort of roll-mat system that I can roll up and down if I want. The main thing now is to see if the bees will come through this, their first winter. CHERYL--Yes indeed, this work was lots more fun than "real" work. It was ambitious, but I really enjoy working like this. I will post a few pics of a couple of the projects later. Thanks TONI--It was lots of fun to do the projects. One really has such a feeling of accomplishment when each task has been completed. I enjoyed it all, but I do not plan to do anything as comprehensive as this for the foreseeable future. DOOLEY--The master plan has been completed except for the work over at the bee hives and a little finishing touches at the edges of everything. Thanks THEO. DONNA S--heh heh heh. You are a woman of few words. chuckle.
