A longtime dream of mine has been to keep honey bees! Yes, honey bees, and two things are making this dream finally come true.
A dozen years ago we planted a 10 acre field behind the inn and our own house with a cover crop of clover. It has not been touched by herbicides in all those years. Living as close to the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore of Maryland as we do, we try to do our part in helping preserve the health and beauty of the largest estuary in the US. Once a year, in late fall, a farmer cuts this field to keep it from reverting to a forest. The clover has been joined by dandelions, common chicory, Queen Anne’s lace and many other beautiful weeds. This meadow is a paradise for wildlife such as deer, rabbits, birds, butterflies, lightning bugs and bees. Sitting on our porch on a hot summer night, watching the dance of the lightning bugs over the meadow is pure bliss and an ideal place to keep bees. The inn itself is surrounded by old holly trees. Another favorite source of food for honey bees.
The other good reason is Geoffrey DeMeritt. We have known Geoffrey for a long time, he is the wedding photographer for many of our wedding couples. He and Lucas were talking one day and, as it turns out, Geoff is a true renaissance man. He loves nature, landscaping, fixing things, serving in the dining room, and he loves and keeps honey bees. In other words, he was the perfect man to join the Brampton team, and we are very lucky to have him on board. He still does his wedding photography, check out his website.
The two beehives have arrived and as soon as the weather permits, Geoff will put them together and place them on the edge of the meadow. If everything goes as planed we should be getting the honey bees the first week in May!
Please stay tuned and follow along on our Facebook page for honey bee updates – I’m already working on honey recipes 🙂
Danielle