In summer the stories of different hives hang about like threads in the air as the beekeeper walks around the apiary and the bees criss-cross past the flowers and trees. From early spring to late autumn, the hives are seen with queen cells, artificial swarms, drone layers, pearly brood, rainbows of pollen, and row upon row of glistening nectar. Colonies are inspected, swarmed, re-queened, split and united again. Last year I kept a note of each month’s observations of the hives and of the apiary as it changed around them.
My monthly notes have been summarised into a small photo book following walks around the apiary through winter, spring, summer and autumn. These past five years of sharing hives with Emily Scott at Adventuresinbeeland’s blog has shown that keeping regular notes of personal observations about the bees, as well as hive records, is so helpful, particularly during times of unseasonable seasons. The beekeeping calendar changes as often as the weather and writing down our experiences of keeping bees through bitter or mild winters and hot or chilly summers is invaluable.
You can freely download A beekeepers notes for the year by EmmaSarahTennant or receive as a free ebook here. You can also order a hard copy on my Blurb bookstore here, for which you’ll need to pay the Blurb store price for printing and postage, and for which £2 I’ll donate to the charity Bees for Development.
I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has read, liked and commented on my blog posts in 2015, and a Very Happy New Year to all!
Mrs Apis Mellifera 
I’m looking forward to being able to dip into your apiary exploits without the computer. Amelia
Thank you Amelia, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
It looks lovely, I’ve ordered myself a hard copy so that I can have a nice copy of all the photos.
Thanks Emily, I’ve made a donation to Bees for Dev this evening. 🙂
This sounds like a very valuable thing to have done and an enjoyable one too.
Thank you, I had a whole afternoon to myself on New Year’s Day… so making the book was fun 🙂
I hope 2016 has a less confusing weather pattern for our little friends Emma and hopefully for my big friends too. Your blog is always informative as well as entertaining and the pictures are great.
Happy New Year.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
What a beautiful Book it will make too.. and I hope also dear Emma that your 2016 is Productive not only in honey but in all you do… Love and Blessings.. Sue xx
Love and blessings to you too Sue and hoping 2016 brings good things for all xx
❤ xxx