Bzzzzz....

I finished painting the new bee boxes today. The frames have been assembled for a couple of weeks, but were awaiting the final paint job so that they can go into the boxes and await the arrival of our first batch of bees in the spring.  We have two new hives and a bunch of other used hive bodies and supers that we'll need to buy new frames for.  (They came with some frames--maybe another full hive of usable frames.)   We plan to start up four hives this spring.  Here's the progress on the dining room table & in the living room (yes, they're light purple):

Orchard Trees Ordered

We got our first batch of orchard trees ordered this week!  This first order will make up our plantings on year one and part of year two on a three-year planting plan.  We have 7 acres that we're planning to plant in orchard trees.  Our orders this week include these varieties:

Apples:
Redfree,
Alkmene
Ashmeads Kernal
Pristine
Liberty
Sundance
Florina Querina
Freedom
Golden Russet
Goldrush
Hardy Cumberland
Hudsons Golden Gem
Kerr
Yellow Transparent Perrine Giant
Spitzenburg Esopus
Kidds Orange Red
Newtown Pippin
Enterprise
Liberty
Arkansas Black
Grimes Golden
Smokehouse
Initial
Crimson Gold

Pears:
Seckel
Sunrise
Shenandoah
Rich May
Desiree
Harrow Delight
Harrow Sweet
Magness
Beurre D'Angou
Moonglow
Comice Regal Red
Blakes Pride
Potomac


Asian Pears:
Olympic
Niitaka
Shinko
Yoinashi

Plums:
Bubblegum Plum 
Oullins Goldin Gage
Reine Claude Conducta
Methley
Santa Rosa
Wickson
President
Satsuma
Bluebyrd
Long John
Green Gage

Cherries:
Montmorency
Jubileum
Balaton
Sandra Rose
Royalton

Apricots:
Harogem
Harlayne

Peaches:
Contender
Loring
Early Loring
Snow Peach
Blushingstar
Redhaven

Nectarines:
Zephyr
Fantasia