Tag Archives: maintenance

A Problem with Vines

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

I have always loved vines. To me they mean grapes (and therefore wine 🙂 ), beautiful ivy covering old brick buildings, passion fruit or some beautiful flower like wisteria. Or that’s what they used to mean. Now they mean pests, … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Nature | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

I’m a Farmer

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Laura Rittenhouse

Well, it’s happened. I have become a farmer. Or at least in my own mind. It’s not about land, it’s not about crops, it’s not about animals, it’s all about the toys. On the farm we have a cherry picker, … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Queen Excluder Cleanup

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Whenever we separate the brood box from the super in our hives we have to deal with the queen excluder. This is a wire mesh (in our case, it can also be plastic) that has gaps big enough for worker … Continue reading →

Posted in bees | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bee Health Check

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

It’s been 3 weeks since we stole the honey from our bees. After the trauma we put them through (and they put us through) we’ve left each other alone to settle down to a normal bee/human existence. We knew we … Continue reading →

Posted in bees | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Good Fences Make Good Neighbours

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

We’ve all heard it said that good fences make good neighbours which has a ring of truth (and cleverness) about it. It’s lovely to have nice neighbours but it’s also pretty wonderful to have your own sanctuary. I’m in the enviable … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens, Garden, Nature | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Frangipani Maintenance

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Frangipani isn’t a plant I grew up with and it doesn’t produce anything edible so, though I love my frangipani tree with its fragrant white summer flowers, I’ve put no effort into figuring out how to keep it happy and … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Let there be Light

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

After days of rain, we’ve had a couple of beautiful days. It was definitely time to venture back out into the garden. Job number one was arranging a bit of light for our macadamia nut tree. This poor little tree has had … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens, Garden, Nature | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cleaning up

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

I’ve started cleaning up the garden beds around the yard. After being left to their own devices for most of the summer, the beds each responded in their own fashion. Typically they opted to grow a lovely crop of weeds. … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged | 2 Comments

Indoor Infestation

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

When I packed up and left the house for 4-5 months, I moved most of the house plants outside. Two were too big to be moved: a large jade and a bamboo palm. When I got home, they were both … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Nature | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Unplanned Maintenance

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Gardening isn’t all fun and games. It’s not just sowing a handful of seeds in rich, black soil and then, in a few weeks, plucking a tomato from the vine and popping it in your mouth while it’s still warm … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged | 2 Comments