Saturday, February 20, 2010

Guerrilla Norm

Reading and watching You Tube videos about Guerrilla Gardening got me to thinking how this could benefit my bees. My dearth period is broken by a plant called Inula Viscosa which flowers in September. This is the most important plant for my bees. It grows in odd places around and I have been collecting the seed from last year. It makes good sense to spread these seeds within flying distance from my hives. I was struggling trying to make some tiny newspaper envelopes for them when my wife says she has a stamp for cutting out tiny enevelopes that she has for greeting card making. Worth a try I thought.



It didn't cut cleanly through the thin newspaper as it is meant to cut card but it did OK. It also scores a square of fold lines that is hard to see but makes the folding easier.



I folded three sides with a dab of paper glue.



I did a dozen or so, waited a few minutes to let the glue dry then put a little compost in the envelope.



Using tweezers I put a few seeds in the packet and stirred them into the compost.



Folded over the remaining flap and with a dab of glue I had my first mini seed parcels.



It took no time at all to make this dozen parcels and I will be making and distributing many more on my morning dog walk. A quick hoof of my heel, drop in the parcel and sidefoot the soil back over the parcel.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Norm,
    Inula viscosa is really an important plant here in Greece,too.Nice envelopes!If you like try to print some from this site: http://theseedsite.co.uk/envelope.html
    I like your blog very much.Keep walking!

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  2. Dimitris, thanks for the comment. I think Inula must be all around the Mediteranean. I don't like handling the plant as it has a stickyness to it and tiny hairs that go in your skin. The bees like it though whilst there is little else for them. My dog ensures I walk every day so hopefully they will get spread all around!
    Χαιρετισμοί
    Norm

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