A 'small' garden

This week the weather is warming up at last. There is a real feeling of spring in the air. It's warm enough today for me to venture out into the garden, with just my short sleeve top, to measure the size of my garden: It's about 13 m (39 ft)x 4.7 m (14.1 ft).

Gina and I cannot agree if our garden is big enough for my hive of bees - she thinks it's too small. She needs to be convinced that the bees will not bother her when she uses the garden in the summer. I plan to place the hive some 5 m (15 ft) away from where we usually sit, and if I put a high fence around the hive the bees' flight path will make it even less likely that we, or our immediate neighbours, will be disturbed by them. Our negotiation continues.

Early in the year I found an alternative site for my hive. A good friend agreed that I can put a hive in her back garden, which is bigger then ours. Since then my research into all things bees has led me to think that this site may not be the best place because of a large pears tree, which may put the hive in the shade for most of the day. Bees need early sun on their hive. I am also in the process of persuading my local allotment committee to allow bees in their allotment. It is strange, but true, that beekeeping is not permitted on this particular allotment, though I know a number of plot holders had said they would like to have bees on their plots.

I shall order a hive soon having decided, for practical reasons, to have a National hive after all. I am still looking to have a Top bar hive eventually. Yesterday I emailed a number os suppliers about hives and bees. To me surprise some have already stopped take order for bees! It's still only February.