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<p class="has-drop-cap">The bees are doing well with plenty of brood and they're very busy. I'm slowly getting back into doing inspections. The recent one almost went wrong when a bee managed to get into the head gear of my bee suit. It was buzzing around my head and had plenty of opportunity to sting me but it didn't - phew. I didn't panic and unzipped the suit allowing the bee to escape. One thing is certain - these bees are not aggressive unlike my last ones.</p>
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<p class="has-drop-cap">My friend and bee mentor, Gary, advised me that it would be a good idea to feed the bees with a sugar syrup so they can build up their winter supplies. I mixed up sugar with water 2:1, placed it into a feeder and placed it on top of the colony. I don't intend harvesting honey from them this year.</p>
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<p>I won't be invading their space again for a couple of weeks.</p>
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<p class="has-drop-cap">The potting shed/greenhouse still produces some surprises but I feel there's a lot more I could grow if it was a proper greenhouse with floor to ceiling glass. this cucumber is probably my best ever.</p>
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<p>I've resolved to get rid of the potting shed at the end of the season and replace it with a proper greenhouse. Having researched what's available and talking to other people I've decided to buy a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.robinsonsgreenhouses.co.uk/products/6752/robinsons-renaissance-57x97-an" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.robinsonsgreenhouses.co.uk/products/6752/robinsons-renaissance-57x97-an" target="_blank">Robinson's Renaissance</a>. There's a 24 week delivery so if I buy at the end of August I should be in time to start sowing seeds next spring. </p>
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<p class="has-drop-cap">There are a number of large flowers coming into bloom. The Lily on the left is growing under the Almond tree and the Sunflower is against the north fence alongside the bee hive.</p>
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<p class="has-drop-cap">My weeding efforts continue and I've now weeded all the beds at the back of the house. This area next to the potting shed has a compost bin and a pile of logs so there has to be access to it. Originally it was planted out with a variety of grasses but one in particular took over so I dug them all out. It is also very shady so yet another area of the garden that requires shade loving plants.  At the moment there are some self seeded Aquilegia growing and maybe it's an area I should commit to growing a variety of Aquilegia.</p>
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