Blackberry Land

Blackberry Land Award Winners

A hardy collection of proven, repeat performers that have required minimal maintenance over the years in my PNW garden.

Popular, In the gardenDianneJanuary 30, 2023top plants, best plants for pnw, PNW best plantsComment

PNW Bee Hive Winterization 2.0 - Using the Bee Cozy

This past Fall I decided to try the Bee Cozy from NOD Apiary Products. Note, this is not a paid review. Just my personal thoughts on how well this product performs.

On the farmDianneFebruary 18, 2022beehive winterization, bee hive winterization, pnw bee hive winterization, PNW winters and bees, winterizing bee hives, winterizing bee hives in PNW, bees and winter, langstroth hive winterization, Vivaldi board, vivaldi boards, bee cozy, Bee Cozy, Bee Cozies, bee cozies, beesComment

How to Fix a Laying Worker Hive?

Laying worker bees indicate big time trouble in a hive. It means a colony has become hopelessly queenless and will shortly die off. So what to do? How to save the colony?

DianneMay 5, 2021bees, bee, worker bees, laying workers, laying worker bees, Laying Worker Bees, queenless, hopelessly queenless, saving a hive

Signs of Laying Worker Bees

Bees. They are endlessly fascinating. Recent case in point: Discovering the existence of laying workers. Allow me to explain.

On the farmDianneMay 3, 2021Bees, laying workers, laying worker bees, Laying Worker Bees, hopelessly queenless, queenless, drones, drone bees, signs of laying worker bees, signs of laying workersComment

New Chicks & Their Set-Up

Got new chicks to add to my little flock. The chick brooder I used before worked so well, I’m using it again.

On the farmDianneApril 21, 2021chicks, chick brooder, brood box, baby chicks, raising baby chicks, Brahma, Speckled Sussex, Dominique, Plymouth Rock, Buff Orpington, coccidia, brooder set-up, ChickensComment

Seed Growing Lessons - Spring 2021 Edition

It seems simple enough. Put seeds in dirt. Water. Watch grow. Unfortunately, those steps alone haven’t produced great results for me here in the PNW. This year, I think I’ve cracked the code.

In the gardenDianneApril 16, 2021seeds, seed growing, seedling, growing seeds, planting seeds, grow lights, germinationComment

Creating Space for More "Food and Medicine for the Soul"

Amazing what a getting a little more dirt can do.

In the gardenDianneJanuary 29, 2021dirt, soil, Luther Burbank, Flowers always make people better, sunshine, food, sunshine food and medicine for the soul, digging in dirt, happiness is digging in dirt

Beekeeping Journal, Winter 2021

I’ve learned that after putting them “to bed” in the late fall, the primary job is making sure they have enough food to get through the long, wet winters here.

On the farmDianneJanuary 20, 2021Bees, beekeeping, beekeepingtips, beekeeping 2020, bees and winter, Vivaldi board, feeding bees, dry sugar for beesComment

Beekeeping Journal – Summer/Fall 2020

2020…what a year of surprises; and no less so than in my little apiary.

On the farmDianneNovember 16, 2020beekeeping journal, beekeeping, beekeeping 2020, Vivaldi board, fume board, apiguard, honey bound, honeybound, Bees, bees, honey seasonComment

Fall Garden Inspiration

Sharing a bit of gardening inspiration that I found recently while walking through the grounds of the Willows Lodge, in Woodinville, WA

In the gardenDianneOctober 26, 2020fall garden inspiration, blue sage, mandevilla, Willows LodgeComment

Robbing Bees

At first, I thought the robbing bees were from my own hives, but after watching the travel pattern, it became clear this gang was from elsewhere far beyond.

On the farmDianneJuly 21, 2020Bees, bees, robbingbees, robbingscreen, HoneyBeeSuiteComment

Of Peas, Tarragon, and Perfect Strawberries

…the peas are bursting with sweetness, so rich and ripe and crunchy. We eat them pods and all almost as quickly as they appear…

In the gardenDianneJuly 14, 2020snap peas, peas, abundance, strawberries, perfect strawberry, raft of gratitude, tarragon, cherry tomato, golden cherry tomato, beans, green beans, yellow wax beansComment

Bully Chicken Story

Well, this is unexpected. After four years, one of my chickens has become an irrepressible bully.

On the farmDianneJune 24, 2020chicken, chicken flock, chicken bully, bully chicken, coop dynamics, chicken rehab, chicken cage, diy chicken cage, chickens, bully hen, Chickens, Bully ChickenComment

Comparing Vegetable Gardens So Far This Spring

Though we planted at the same time, our potato plants appear remarkably different.

In the gardenDianneJune 2, 2020comparing gardens, potato, potato plants, potato growing lesson, Dr. Earth's, Romanesco, Brussel Sprouts, slugs, Bean tunnel, pea trellisComment

Plants to the Quarantine Rescue!

Spending time in the botanical world – socially distant, of course – is one simple way to improve and maintain well-being.

In the gardenDianneMarch 26, 2020quarantimes, art in garden, horticultural therapy, Horticultural Therapy, Covid-19, pandemic, well-being during pandemicComment

Soil Testing – My Rapid Test vs Lab Analysis Experience

What I had was not only a highly in-depth evaluation of my soil’s health from the county, but also an interesting opportunity to compare the results from the two different testing methods. And interesting they were in how they differed.

In the gardenDianneFebruary 28, 2020soil testing, rapid soil tester, rapid soil testing, soil analysis, laboratory soil analysis, King County soil test, rapid test vs lab analysisComment

Plant tags - Why I Save Them Now, And How

How many times have you purchased some outdoor plant addition and thrown away the identification tag? I’ve done it countless times, but as my hellebore example shows, that can be so shortsighted.

In the gardenDianneFebruary 19, 2020what to do with plant tags, plant tags, hellebore, hellebores, plant labels, filing plant tags, file plant tags, keeping plant labels, keeping plant tagsComment

Abscesses: Horse Hoof Hell(p)

Best practices and products for saving brain cells while getting your horse back on the mend from painful hoof abscesses.

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