Edington & District Gardening Club
Spring is here and its official! It is warm enough now to spend some time enjoying what bulbs there are and making notes of where new ones need to go for next year’s display. We are at last beginning to believe we will be able to work, sit and eat in the garden for another summer, after a long wet autumn and winter.
Our last speaker at Gardening Club got us off to a good start by reminding us of the wonderful job done by the bees that visit our gardens. Claire Barker from local company Hive Originals gave us a crash course in bee-keeping and the benefits of honey and beeswax. Not only was she really informative (who knew there were 224 types of bees in the UK?) but also inspiring. Only one bee works all year – the honeybee. In a hive, one queen can live for 7 years, but the workers for less than 6 weeks. The workers are all females, who clean, forage, guard and feed the queen and generally make a home. Sound familiar? The drones are the males and their job is to fly and mate with a virgin queen. They all die by winter, but at its peak the hive averages 100,000 busy bees.
Claire showed us waxed honeycomb and honey and told us how it is all made and extracted, with each product having a specific use. From pollen, to propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, honeycomb and honey, all are beneficial because of their anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties ….and of course the delicious taste of the honey.
Claire started her business so that she could make a living from her bees. She works with a laboratory and has spent many thousands of pounds developing an all-natural product range and in August 2013 she launched her business selling creams, lotions and balms. We were able to test her delicious-smelling products and members bought some at the end of the event. I can recommend the night cream, which smells great, is non-greasy and with none of the ingredients that cause problems for the environment and for our bodies.
Our next Club evening is on Thursday 7th April (7.30 pm), when Nick Gilbert will be talking about dahlias. Do come along for coffee, cake, friendship and really useful gardening information. Also take a look at the our web pages on the village site to find out about the excellent trips and speakers still to come. Or ring 01380 830722 for more information.
Sandie Lewis, Secretary.