251 August 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

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Kilbarchan Beekeepers
Honeybees on the extrafloral
nectaries of a laurel
1st Prize awarded to Ian
Craig for his lovely honey
Bridge of Weir Horticultural Society
Travel to Cardross to visit Ardarden
On a warm and sunny June afternoon, the Society travelled to Cardross to visit
Ardarden. This is a Garden Centre nestling inside a restored walled garden with a Farm
Shop alongside. Visitors can wander around the herbaceous borders and the water
feature and through the woodland walk on the banks of the Clyde, or just sit and relax in
a quiet spot in the sun. There’s plenty for children to explore,
including a willow tree house to hide inside and animals to
meet in the Farm section.
Once plants and other garden necessities have been selected,
or gifts and cards and Scottish specialities picked up in the Farm Shop, visitors can relax
in the lovely tea room for snacks and meals. Needless to say, after enjoying the welcome
sunshine, time in the garden and browsing and buying, members were certainly ready for
a chat and catch up over teas, coffees and irresistible home baking! Everyone enjoyed
the sun and the sheltered conditions of the garden and the ambience of the tearoom.
Hopefully, reinvigorated and with plants to replenish gaps in home borders, members
can look forward to a late summer of long, warm and sunny days! Our endeavours will be on view at the end of
the month when we hold the Flower Show on Saturday 29th August. Everyone is welcome to show the results of
their labours - and maybe win a few prizes!
Children in particular are always encouraged to take part. As they enjoy making
miniature gardens in trays or weird and wonderful creatures out of fruits and vegetables,
these favourites will appear again this year. Busy parents are reminded that entries
can be brought along the night before when The Legion will be open between 7pm -
10pm on Friday evening and between 7.30am - 9.45am on Saturday morning.
Anyone new to gardening is especially welcome, either entering as a novice or just
checking out what can be grown in this area. For more information, please call our
Show Secretary on 01505-612898 or find us on www.bowhs.co.uk
With the later start to summer we have had this year, far more flowering
plants are continuing on providing nectar and pollen sources later in the
season. Combined with the mid to late summer plants such as pentstemon,
salvia, echiniops, stachys (lambs ear) and borage, the tilia ‘lime’ trees are
in flower. The later of these produces a nectar source in large quantities
that can transform the taste and texture of honey produced. Another
source of nectar can be quite surprising, some plants also have extrafloral
nectaries, which are basically little nodules, usually on the stems or the
base of leaves in some species of plants, which otherwise would not
have flowers to attract ants usually, but honeybees also capitalise on
these sources when found (see Picture below). The honeybee colonies
have reached their maximum numbers in the hives and are concentrating in
accumulating as much stores they can to see them through winter.
Royal Highland Show
From 18th – 21st June, the Royal Highland Show was celebrating 175 years.
Kilbarchan Beekeepers were also celebrating, with a handful of prizes being
awarded to some of its members in the Honey Tent in different classes. With
the current spotlight on the plight of pollinators and especially bees in the
media, it is not surprising that some of the traditional aspects of Beekeeping
get overlooked. Most of the larger flower or agricultural shows have special
classes for entering exhibits in what are called ‘Honey Classes’. These
classes include honey products in jars or the comb itself (cut comb), but also
there are classes that cover baking using honey, mead, honey cocktails and
wax also (see picture below for examples of wax being judged). Ayr and
Dundee Flowers shows have Honey Classes (Dundee is the National Honey Show for Scotland), and
some Local Beekeeping Associations also hold their own smaller competitions.
Judges assessing Best in Show
from the all the Classes
Interested?
If you are interested in beekeeping for yourself or the whole family, anyone is welcome.
Contact Ian Craig, the Kilbarchan and District Beekeepers Association Secretary on 01505 322684 or via e-mail beekeeper30@btinternet.com
KBA hold evening meetings during Autumn & Winter months in The Steeple Halls, Kilbarchan between 7.30pm–10pm.
You can come along and find out more about Honeybee husbandry and related topics, drop in to find out more at one of the meetings below.
Evening Programme 2015/16
8th September - Local Nectar & Pollen Sources & identification of Honey - Ian Craig
13th October - How Beekeeping is Affected by Chemicals & Farming Practices - Mark Ballingall
10th November - Honey Show - Judge: Claud Wilson
8th December - AGM
12th January - Beekeeping DVD’s - Peter Stromberg
9th February - Basic Bee Anatomy - Alan Riach
8th March - A to Z of Swarm Control