It’s a man thing…. – Smithy Brook Diary

Summer Bees

February 20, 2021

It’s always a sign that spring is in the air and the beekeeping season is...

CHRISFebruary 20, 2021

Beekeepers Pancake Day

February 16, 2021

As a beekeeper with a store cupboard full of last seasons honey I was bound...

CHRISFebruary 16, 2021

Before the birds start nesting

February 15, 2021

With the bitter cold weather and snow fall of the last couple of weeks it's...

CHRISFebruary 15, 2021

He Knows No Winter

February 8, 2021

He knows no winter he who loves the soil...

CHRISFebruary 8, 2021

Seed ordering day.

February 7, 2021

£163.00. Not bad for the bounty of veg and salads we should achieve over...

CHRISFebruary 7, 2021

The Big Garden Bird/Squirrel Watch.

February 6, 2021

The RSPB Big Birdwatch was coming up soon so we registered to take part and...

Michelle ChandlerFebruary 6, 2021

Snow Fall and Broken Limbs

February 1, 2021

As often happens with coniferous trees in these conditions the branch didn't actually snap of...

CHRISFebruary 1, 2021

A truck full of bird boxes

January 31, 2021

We're not short of trees in Smithy Brook so I had no trouble finding good...

CHRISJanuary 31, 2021

The Beauty of a Bundle of Bumbarrels

January 28, 2021

I have always loved this little bird with its black and white plumage tinged with...

Michelle ChandlerJanuary 28, 2021

33 Uses For Beeswax That Go Beyond Candle Making

January 27, 2021

While bees and their remarkable raw honey generally get a lot of buzzingly good press,...

CHRISJanuary 27, 2021

2020

January 26, 2021

2020 was a better year than you think

CHRISJanuary 26, 2021

Aconite, the first of all.

January 25, 2021

It is always an absolute tonic to me when signs of Spring appear and the...

Michelle ChandlerJanuary 25, 2021

A Few Winter Jobs

January 24, 2021

With livestock however comes a few responsibilities which can't be escaped and our chicken pen...

CHRISJanuary 24, 2021

Woody’s Welcome Return

January 17, 2021

We were also very pleased to see the return of a Great Spotted Woodpecker to...

CHRISJanuary 17, 2021

This is superb.

January 16, 2021

I just came across this on the internet and thought I would share it with...

CHRISJanuary 16, 2021

Frosty Frustrations

January 12, 2021

Myself and Chelle have had some great winter walks on crisp frozen mornings and some...

CHRISJanuary 12, 2021

A Bowlful of Cheer

January 11, 2021

I have always loved their ostentatious appearance and heady scent at a time of year...

Michelle ChandlerJanuary 11, 2021

Big Garden Bird Watch

January 6, 2021

Why not take a look. We will be taking part in Smithy Brook.

CHRISJanuary 6, 2021

Moorhen Heists and Kingfisher Whispering.

January 4, 2021

The table and feeders have a constant stream of hungry beaks belonging to all the...

Michelle ChandlerJanuary 4, 2021

Wintry Day up t’North

January 3, 2021

It's always surprising how quickly the world changes when it disappears under a layer of...

CHRISJanuary 3, 2021

Calendar Rituals

January 2, 2021

It is said that you should live as though you are going to die tomorrow...

Michelle ChandlerJanuary 2, 2021

New Years Eve Pizza The Action

January 1, 2021

Once the oven reached temperature it was a quick job to roll out our pizza...

CHRISJanuary 1, 2021

No Flat Hedgehog’s Anymore

January 1, 2021

Whilst I was sat there I found myself chatting to Bruce the Spruce about something...

CHRISJanuary 1, 2021

Summer Evening Bee Jobs

August 13, 2020

After gathering everything I needed together I got myself settled on the picnic bench under...

CHRISAugust 13, 2020

One For Sorrow

August 11, 2020

Our ancestors lack of proper understanding of the mysteries of life probably led to the...

Michelle ChandlerAugust 11, 2020

What do you do with red currants?

June 21, 2020

It's that time of year again where we start to get a substantial harvest of...

CHRISJune 21, 2020

Salad Season

June 17, 2020

Hot summer days followed by fresh salad from the garden, what a perfect combination. Although...

CHRISJune 17, 2020

Shutting the stable door….

June 14, 2020

The old pre motorway freight roads over the pennines are a lovely drive, passing through...

CHRISJune 14, 2020

Anti Depressant in Soil?

May 13, 2020

Prozac may not be the only way to get rid of your serious blues. Soil...

CHRISMay 13, 2020

Onion update…

May 12, 2020

ust a quick photo update to show the progress of the onion sets I planed...

CHRISMay 12, 2020

Is rape making my bees angry?

May 11, 2020

My last couple of inspections I have found that a colony that has always been...

CHRISMay 11, 2020

Hopi Prophecy

May 10, 2020

Everything is spiritual, everything has a spirit, everything was brought here by the creator, the...

CHRISMay 10, 2020

My Poor Greenhouse!

May 9, 2020

My poor greenhouse has taken a bit of a battering over the winter months. My...

CHRISMay 9, 2020

French beans a’climbing

May 6, 2020

I love this time of year in the garden. Everything is starting to come together....

CHRISMay 6, 2020

Yay, Courgettes are planted!

May 5, 2020

I'm still managing to get a few jobs done each day on the small holding...

CHRISMay 5, 2020

Preparing for oil seed rape honey

May 4, 2020

Well it's that time of year again. Just as we enter swarming season we also...

CHRISMay 4, 2020

Last of the potatoes planted.

May 3, 2020

I grabbed a quick 10 minutes today to get the last of the seed potatoes...

CHRISMay 3, 2020

Cowslips….

April 25, 2020

Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough...

CHRISApril 25, 2020

Figs Galore!

April 21, 2020

Wow! Our little fig tree planted around 18 months ago on the west facing wall...

CHRISApril 21, 2020

Setting Goose Eggs

April 21, 2020

I’ve just set 11 goose eggs in the incubator. These are not mine but belong...

CHRISApril 21, 2020

Sowing leeks, broccoli and sprouts

April 13, 2020

Some seeds are started where they are to spend their lives, such as lettuce, carrots...

CHRISApril 13, 2020

Garden Planning

April 13, 2020

I think almost every gardener I know has a favorite garden book, or perhaps a...

CHRISApril 13, 2020

Planting Seed Potatoes

April 11, 2020

Nothing beats the taste of home grown potatoes cooked fresh from the ground. One of...

CHRISApril 11, 2020

Spring Beekeeping Jobs

April 10, 2020

With swarm control in mind I spent the afternoon sorting out all my spare beekeeping...

CHRISApril 10, 2020

Slightly Batty

April 8, 2020

Where do bats go in winter? Yes, this and other batty thoughts have been going...

CHRISApril 8, 2020

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

April 8, 2020

Hope...Hope that this will all be over one day very soon and we’ll be eating...

Michelle ChandlerApril 8, 2020

Planting Onion Sets

April 6, 2020

If you don’t have the time or the desire to start your onions from seed...

CHRISApril 6, 2020

Soft fruit cuttings

April 1, 2020

The pots were then watered and placed outdoors out of direct sunlight. I just need...

CHRISApril 1, 2020

Seed sowing in the sunshine

March 31, 2020

Having had a couple of years out of the smallholding it took me a while...

CHRISMarch 31, 2020

“Dig” or “No Dig”?

March 31, 2020

I've read a lot over the years about "no dig" techniques where you simply mulch...

CHRISMarch 31, 2020

This is very worrying.

March 31, 2020

UKs horticultural sector worth £1.4BN could be wiped out by shutdown in weeks

CHRISMarch 31, 2020

Bit O’Dry Stone Walling

March 31, 2020

'Jack of all trades and master o'none' was one of my dad's sayings when I...

CHRISMarch 31, 2020

The Dreaded Conifer

March 30, 2020

This was a hedge we never really wanted but became a necessity

CHRISMarch 30, 2020

BBKA – Bee News

March 30, 2020

As the weather warms up and the bees become more active the monthly 'what to...

CHRISMarch 30, 2020

Chitting Seed Potatoes

March 30, 2020

Has everyone got trays of seed potatoes chitting (sprouting) on window sills around the house...

CHRISMarch 30, 2020

New roof for the Chuck’s

March 29, 2020

a couple of hours work and £39.00

CHRISMarch 29, 2020

Has Spring Sprung?

March 8, 2020

What a joy! In the brief respite between the seemingly constant wind and rain of...

CHRISMarch 8, 2020

Bee Important……

March 1, 2020

Wildlife.net Following a meeting at the Royal Geographical Society in London, United Kingdom the Earthwatch Institute declared bees the most important...

CHRISMarch 1, 2020

Hungry Bees

March 1, 2020

It’s late winter and like many beekeepers I start to get a little nervous about...

CHRISMarch 1, 2020

Teeswater Sheep Exhibition

February 29, 2020

Last night saw myself and Michelle finishing work early and heading up to Hawes through...

CHRISFebruary 29, 2020

Getting forcefully fruity with a vegetable…

February 29, 2020

I know. It’s probably the time of year. That unrequited desire for something fresh. Something...

CHRISFebruary 29, 2020

Frittering my time away…

February 25, 2020

There was nothing quite like Pancake Day when I was a child waiting patiently in...

Michelle ChandlerFebruary 25, 2020

Starting Anew!

February 25, 2020

Hello and Welcome to our blog! We hope you will join us as we share...

CHRISFebruary 25, 2020

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