Our Homemade Roots

This year started with big garden plans. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. The record rainfall we have received has not been kind to my veg garden.
So harvesting the garlic bulbs I planted on April 11 was a blessing. They grew much bigger then I had expected. 🧄❤️

I was out by the chicken coop and heard this... I knew what was happening. I walked towards my bee hives and saw thousands of bees. They were swarming.

First batch of raspberry vanilla jam this year! My family loves this jam.

I dont use pectin in this recipe.

Recipe in the comments.

Does anyone know what this is?

I just saw it through my window.

Food forest / orchard garden tour in zone 3/4
Part 1

I live in central Alberta just south of Edmonton and this is my passion project.

If you have ever thought about growing fruit trees now is the time. Combining fruit trees and other perennial fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers is a wonderful and beautiful way to start growing your own food.

You can start with just one fruit tree and plant a 'fruit tree guild' around it.

A quick Google search can provide you with lots of information on fruit tree guilds and food forests.

My food forest / orchard garden has:
2 apple trees,
2 cherry trees,
3 plum trees,
3 pear trees,
4 haskap bushes
1 black currant
1 Saskatoon
Raspberries
Strawberries
Asparagus
Chives
Various perennial herbs and flowers

Check back for Part 2

Signs your beehive has a healthy queen

Here are a few signs your hive has a healthy queen:

Consistent brood pattern – A solid, compact pattern of eggs, larvae, and capped brood is one of the best indicators of a productive queen.

Fresh eggs – Seeing tiny eggs standing upright in the bottoms of cells means the queen has been laying within the last few days.

Calm, organized bees – hives with a strong queen are generally calm, focused, and busy with their daily work.

Growing population – Plenty of nurse bees, foragers, and new brood show the colony is healthy and expanding.

Signs you may have a queen problem:

Spotty or scattered brood pattern

No eggs or very little brood

Increased aggression or loud, restless buzzing

Queen cells appearing unexpectedly

Multiple eggs in a single cell (which can indicate laying workers if the hive has been queenless for some time)

Regular hive inspections can help you catch problems early and keep your colony strong throughout the season

Enjoying all the moments of this beautiful day 🌞 ❤️

Hope you all take a moment to enjoy something beautiful today 😊

Central Alberta gardeners are being tested this year with record rain this June after years of drought.

Lack of sun and warmth has taken its toll on tomatoes, peppers and heat loving veggies.

Brassicas and cool loving veg are doing ok but root rot is becoming a concern.

I will hold on to see what July and August bring.

As long as I dont get eaten alive by the mosquitoes! 🤣😆