Notes from the Field

Beekeeping facts, flowers in bloom and outdoors living.

January is about...

Crisp winter walks, New Years Resolutions, Wassail

From the beekeeper

“This month we’re treating the bees for varroa and warding off evil spirits at our Wassail. We’ll also start pruning this month.”

News in Brief

Bees, the outdoors and natural living. There’s more in the archives »

Winter Tea

Time to look after yourself with some Winter Tea - best made in a teapot, but if you haven't one to hand, make it in a jug covered with a small plate to keep the tea warm while it brews. Warm the pot or jug first, then add the Juice of one lemon, some grated or sliced...

Athelhampton House Christmas Fair

Getting ready for the Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair - Dorset honey, beeswax candles, gifts for gardeners, "thank you" gifts for teachers, craft kits, balms and salve to protect against the winter weather ... come and join us.

Winter Skin Protection

In true rural Dorset fashion, we tend to use whatever’s at hand when we need a bit of skin protection. Mark's been applying Natural Beeswax Polish (we call it NBP), which rapidly did the trick in healing up sores on his gnarled hands - the result of working our C17th...

Surviving Apple Harvest

We’re about to start in the orchard on the last job of the year. The bees are all fed and sorted for winter, so we turn our efforts to harvesting the cider apples. Before we can get going, the barns have to be cleared and cleaned, the harvesting equipment repaired...

Twinways Wassail

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