The bed I had to replace was almost 4 years old. While the corner did come apart, it was the big chunks of wood rotted away that was the cause.

re garden boxes..
just wondering..you dont find you need to put metal around those corners to keep the boxes together? (once they are getting watered etc, dont they tend to want to pull apart?

But that’s interesting about the potatoes. I knew there were many varieties, but had no idea there were that many.

I have to get bees this year because this is my first year keeping them. I plan on putting out a swarm trap to get some free bees, but my main supply this year are packages.

The mason bees in the hive are no threat to the honeybees. If the honey bees decide they don’t like these cells in the hive, they will wall them in with propolis, or “bee glue.”

The threats to honeybees are mainly mites and pesticides.

There are huge numbers of Potatoe varities

Organic varieties/ Heritage Varieties/Heirloom Varieties/Usual Grocery Varieties..etc…wow… I was surprised how many types, different nutritional aspects. It has set me on a mission to be checking local markets/Farmer’s Markets for what varieties I can try..

Here is a quote I found on a U.K. news site article “the unusual colours denote extra nutritional value. The purple skin of the arran victory, the scarlet flesh of the highland burgundy red and the inky stain running through the shetland black are natural pigmentation caused by compounds known as anthocyanins. These are powerful antioxidants which also have anti-inflammatory – and possibly even anti-cancer properties.”

All Blue’, ‘Yellow Finn’, ‘Rose Finn Apple’, ‘German Butterball’, ‘Purple Peruvian’, ‘Red Thumb’, ‘Red Gold’, ‘Cranberry Red’, a.k.a. ‘All Red’, Bliss’ Triumph Potato, Champion or Vermont Champion Potato. Early Ohio Potato.
Early Rose Potato, Garnet Chile Potato, Green Mountain Potato, Irish Cobbler Potato, Peach Blow Potato, Russet Burbank Potato, Snowflake Potato, Yellow Potato, Deep Yellow Mashers, Waxy Salad Types, Chieftain Organic (Red), Kennebec, Russet Norkotah, Russian Banana Fingerling, Russian Blue, Sieglinde, Warba, Yukon Gold, Lindzer Deleketess, Caribe, Duke of York, Lady Lenora, Agria, Cherry Red, Alaska Sweetheart, Roko, Eric, Provento, Blue Mac, Bintje, Ratte (Asparges), Mr Little’s Yetholm Gypsy, Salad Blue, Highland Burgundy Red, Witch Hill, Blue Kestrel, Edgecote Purple, Highland Burgandy Red.

And the above is by no means a complete list…just where I stopped….

I am thinking of history lessons, and how many groups of folks actually survived living mostly on potatoes.

re those interlopers, I wonder if there is anyone local to you, you could show them to? dont know anything about this, but have heard so much on the news about bee keepers haveing trouble with their hives – this parasite or that / flying “things” taking over hives / etc..

might want to find out if they can hurt your “purchased bees”

re the seed idea, well, I dont have much of a green thumb, and for a shrub, for sure i need something i can stick in ground. It is the time of year to be checking the greehhouses, so, one may get lucky.