502 Jenschke Lane, Fredericksburg, TX, USA
FRI SAT SUN 11-5 AND BY APPT: 830 733-2465
THE BEES & THE GARDEN
the bees
We became intrigued with the idea of raising bees and what it took to actually care for our own colonies. Curiosity lead us to learn as much as we could about God's miraculous, tiny little wonders, which never cease to amaze us. They work hard, and so do we. So much to learn! Did you know you can buy a package of 5,000 bees and have them delivered to the Fredericksburg post office? With a lot of tender care (and some luck), one hive can thrive to over 50,000 bustling bees. But it's not easy. First comes the setup (our first hive absconded), then feeding them sugar water, conducting hive inspections, and protecting them from the elements. It's a full-time job. But it's worth it. One Queen, a lot of brood, propolis, tools, suits, and smokers. It takes a village. And lots of trial and error along the way. (And, yes, a few stings).
the garden
And why have acreage if we don't grow our own food? 4-foot long cucumbers, anyone? During what we call our "surgical demolition," of the casita, hundreds of boards were carefully stacked away in anticipation of a good idea. They came in handy when we decided to build our very first garden with over 20 raised beds. And having never gardened before did not deter us. We are surrounded by farmland and great resources both locally and online. If we can do it, anyone can.
Curiosity led to a good education and it brought us down a very satisfying path of planting, growing and harvesting. Never in a million years did we ever think we could grow (and savour) things like mouth-watering cantelope, pungent perfect garlic and gargantuan beets. We have grown carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, potatoes, beans, watermelon, peppers and more. I know for some around the Hill Country it's a cakewalk; but for us, it was like being in kindergarten and learning to tie a shoe for the very first time. Talk about PURE JOY!
the flowers
Our most recent joyful experience: flower farming.
2024 paved the way for a trial flower crop, and it did not disappoint. We marvelled as we watched our bees and their butterfly friends feast on an explosion of fantastic color. We knew we needed to provide a thriving environment for our honeybees, and so we added a varietal buffet across the farm. We planted at the pump house, in the garden, by the front gate, throughout the yard, and around the greenhouse. We took note of what they loved: lavender, basil and bachelor's button; sage, salvia, rosemary, and the blossoms on the crepe myrtles, so we just kept on planting. We sowed a small area of wildflowers in 2023, seeds from Wildseed Farms just down the road, and the joy it brought not only us, but the bees, meant we needed to do more.
We have added an area on our farm dedicated to flowers and look forward to selling our seasonal fresh and dried florals in 2025.