D walichiana, both English and asian cullings. a D. affinis cristata, and a sporling A felix-femina. all because of a May symposium on succession planting at Great Dixter.

tripod lashing, internet style.

i still wonder where my pruning books went. someone got my largess and doesnt remember to return after use.

now to find my notes from two years ago.

no signs of young eggs in the split hive. i have to grow a queen or three.

this week my mom worked on mending a top. i couldnt figure out why it wasnt done till just now. she couldnt thread the needle she wanted to use. so she couldnt tie off the old thread to finish with enough of the new thread.

now to fix the three pair of white or cream colored jeans in various states of repair. then we need to sort her clothes to have summer tops and bottoms visible.

i changed needles and finished the hem for her.

my new hive had ropes of workers hanging out on the front stoop this morning. the deluge was a possible detour from their silly queen jokes.

third shirt for today. the weeding and transplanting is perfect in this drizzly weather. today- chlerodendron trichotomum, chrysanthemum, begonia, corylopsis spicata, asparagus, salvias. almost done with deadheading a few tulips( almost 1000).

need to update plant lists for NJBA letters to nurseries, arboreta, plant societies, and landscapers and arborists.

in the heat wave bees were having a times square party, making everyone nervous.

i blended the nuc with a full deep super from my new hive. that hive has produced 2+ deeps of brood and is two honey layers deep.

three days later, nice nuc activity. i could not figure out the queen rearing super today. will look for the dividers tomorrow.

returned home w one frame w capped queen cell, and hive 1 w lots o actiyt

drive to wshf. swarm in asparagus gone. need to check all hives.

lunch around 2:30. messages- swarm at wellsweep. i need to unload, then load to be ready forcwshf.

seeds, what about linda, wanda and rusty?

the rest- remembering cathy. her hives, floral prep solutions, cachepots, books.

so much for long pants. at least all eyes got through the day and no poison ivy so far.

coffee, sweat, frogs, dogs and machetes that did not cut enough branches in my amateur hands.

gram and alexandra played at a cardtable in the shade.

three thorny honey locusts are now horizontal. some lonicera are full of berries but no longer have veils of wild grape. i could not keep up with Sean. his clothes survived the thorns and prickles much better than mine did .

today started with hacking multiflora rose, barberry, bittersweet, and japanese honeysuckle.

today- 5 rhodea, 5 sarcococca, 2 specual pachysandra got planted. flats got moved to the outdoor greenhouses. woody pots got watered. bees were flying. the bee bar is started. both hives have activity. the swarm hive is very active. both hives still had sugar blocks. lits of dead bees in the feeders.

my mommy after a long day at this year's Native Plant Society of New jersey meeting