Some images just stick with you…like the idea of eight million bees loose on the freeway.
This story came out of California a couple of days ago. It seems that a truck hauling 440 colonies of bees overturned–setting loose EIGHT MILLION BEES! That’s an image I can’t get out of my mind. Take a look at the photo at the bottom of this news story.
It seems that the big rig that was hauling the bees home overturned, setting loose all the flying critters. It shut down traffic for hours while several other beekeepers–WHO HAPPENED TO BE PASSING BY THE ACCIDENT–wrangled them back into the colonies to be hauled away.
The good news is that bees are very orderly creatures. Once the hives were set up the buzzing bees rendez-voused with their brethren so they could be transported to their next job. Some bees were lost. And it will take a while to sort out the whole one-queen-per-hive issue. But for the most part, the cool-headed beekeepers efficiently dealt with eight million potential problems fairly handily.
First, I didn’t know that there were itinerant bees. I thought that bees were pretty much home-based and took care of their own fields and crops. But these bees were apparently being trucked back to Washington state after a gig in the San Joaquin Valley.
Second, who knew that there were so many bees a coming and going that there would be more than one big bunch of beekeepers on a single stretch of California highway? What are the chances? Well, apparently pretty good in California. But then, California is a special place, no?
My head is still buzzing with the thought of eight million bees on the loose.
Robin
First, let me say that I am not a Martha Stewart basher.
I was not among those who took glee in the fall of America’s Domestic Diva. I acknowledge that it seems that she can be quite, uh, mean-spirited and brutal on her minions. But I also recognize that she has made some significant accomplishments. She has created a huge empire from nothing. She raised homemaking to an art during a time when high-powered careers were more in vogue. I also think she has suffered mightily from some highly publicized personal embarrassments—an icky divorce when her husband ran off with her former assistant and a financial scandal that probably wouldn’t have meant jail time for most investors.
So it’s not as a Martha-basher that I have decided to air my disappointments in her new garden.
The March issue of Martha Stewart Living was my first look at her garden at Cantitoe Corners, Martha’s newest renovation, a 152-acre estate in New York’s fashionable Westchester County. The article, “Fruitful Endeavors,” features her vegetable garden and, according to the author, some “clever and innovative techniques.”
Frankly, I’m disappointed in Martha’s Fruitful Endeavors.
First, Martha has chosen to surround the 90 by 150 feet garden with a seven foot-tall metal fence that looks more like it belongs around her former prison home than around a vegetable garden on an “estate.” I understand the need for a fence of some height. After all, those white-tailed deer can leap tall buildings in a single bound, right? But why a metal fence? There are so much more lovely alternatives.
For example, how about the highly functional and also attractive fence surrounding the vegetable garden at Mount Vernon? George Washington designed this beautiful fence with a brickwork base and picket fence top. Despite the fact that it’s over seven feet tall, it doesn’t look like a prison exercise yard. Rather, the fence adds architecture and grace to the garden.
Second, the article boasts about her clever use of rotating crops. That’s “clever and innovative?”
What’s more, it appears that the vast majority of the garden is laid out in rows, or, as the article puts it, rows in a “rigorous geometry to yield maximum results and easy access.”
Why maximum results? As far as I know, she lives alone. Is she feeding a small nation army I’m not aware of? If not, why is she sacrificing beauty purely for the sake of “maximum” production?
I
t seems that old George (Yes, George Washington again.) was feeding a heap more people, what with the slaves and all. His gardens seemed quite productive and also managed to be a place that you could tarry as well as toil. Why must a garden only be for work and production?
Personally, I believe a garden should be as much for pleasure as for produce. (You can see more of my garden here.)
Finally, I see NOT ONE SINGLE PLACE TO SIT in her garden. Surely she must have a lawn chair stashed somewhere that she drags out when the photographers go home, right? And you know I value a place to sit in a garden.
Too bad about Cantitoe Corners. With Martha’s talent, money and hoards of help, her garden could have been something to rival the gardens of the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
I’m sorry so say, Martha has let me down.
Robin
I truly hate crowds.
I finish my holiday gift shopping early not because I’m organized but because I can’t stand the stores when the masses arrive. You couldn’t tie me up and drag me to a parade. Go to a party? Is it a small one?
I make one truly significant exception to battling the throngs—flower shows! If you haven’t attended a flower show before, do yourself a favor and make plans. It’s a true visual feast where you can get ideas and learn quite a lot in a short amount of time.
I just booked my hotel arrangements for the upcoming Philadelphia Flower Show. If you haven’t already made arrangements to attend the show near you, you should do so now. Rooms are going fast in Philly. In fact, I found that I could only get the hotel I wanted by booking through the show’s website. All other sources showed the property was unavailable.
The Philadelphia show’s early morning two-hour tours are also filling up. You have to email your request to the show organizers for registration information. Groups are small—8 to 12 people—and are held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. before the show opens. The cost is $105 per person.
If you’re planning a flower show trip and haven’t been before, here are some quick tips on getting them most from your flower show experience.
– Wear comfortable shoes and a jacket. The showplaces are often cooled for the benefit of preserving the plants, which makes it a bit chilly for the rest of us. Layer for comfort.
- Carry a notebook and pen. You can make notes, job down flower and vendor names or even sketch a particularly striking flower layout.
- Leave the handbag at home. I use a very small shoulder bag with a long strap that I can wear bandolier style. It’s just large enough to hold cash, credit cards, keys, a phone, small notebook and pen. It doesn’t add uncomfortable weight on my shoulder and allows me to keep my hands free.
- Check out the show’s photography policy in advance. Most shows allow amateur photography without previous permission. All shows prohibit the use of tripods or other equipment that can get in the way of heavy foot traffic.
- Check show schedules in advance for special demonstration and lecture times. Many shows have a first-come-first-serve seating policy, so arrive early.
- Plan your meals in advance. Food at these shows is usually hard to find, bad for you and disgusting. Eat a hearty breakfast and carry a bag of nuts. Or make a small, healthy sandwich that you can eat in the snack area while the rest of the folks are eating hot dogs and chips.
- If you’re going with a friend, carry cell phones so you can find each other when you decide to go separate ways or accidentally lose site of each other.
Bring money and a big car, truck or van. Most shows have areas for shopping. Unless you’re particularly disciplined, you’ll go home with an armload.
Have fun and post pictures! I can’t go to all the shows. Someday my dream is to go to the Chelsea Flower Show. It’s on my bucket list!
Upcoming Flower Shows
March 2 – 8 – Philadelphia Flower Show. The lecture and demonstration schedule is here.
March 8 – 16 – New England Spring Flower Show, Boston
February 20 – 24 – Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle
March 8 – 16 – Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show, Rosemont, IL
March 12 – 16 – San Francisco Flower & Garden Show
March 14 – 24 – Hong Kong Flower Show
May 20 – 24 – RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Robin
