I’m starting a new colony of Italian bees this year, and my plan is to create a beautiful beehive for them like the ones on the roof of Fortnum & Mason in London.

Fortnum & Mason Beehive

Avid beekeeper and woodcrafter extraordinaire Ryan Ferreri is making the facade for my hive. This week he’s made a lot of progress. Here are some pictures.

Meanwhile, I’m busy priming and painting my wooden ware a beautiful shade of eau de nil.  My hive has a cottage garden outer cover, so it will look more like the Fortnum hives.

More updates as work progresses!