It’s been sunny and Bees and Bumble Bee Queens have been out and hitting their favourite flowers. The plum blossom is full out, but the favourites right now are the Rosemary and the Cistus Bennett’s White.
Rosemary is an important pollen source, which is like Bee protein. The Cistus looks like it is a good pollen source too, judging by the full pollen sacks on the bees within.
According to Trees for Bees Rosemary pollen is white, and both are good high protein sources at this time of year, which can be difficult for bees. Bumble Bees seem to spend more time on the Rosemary Officinalis, whereas the rosemary Chef’s Choice is covered with honeybees.
Lavender always seems to be popular with bees.
Erodium is second choice, like the Plum blossom, but I am loving this plant at the moment.
I love the seed heads as and the sweet flowers and the greyish fuzzy leaves. It did self sow last year, and we certainly had plenty of plums, so somehow they get pollinated.
Absent Gardener 
My Rosemary are just beginning to flower here too, that seems strange because your’re just going into spring aren’t you?
I notice that there is this crossover time – someone in the North was mentioning their Bowles Mauve wallflower is flowering madly and mine is now too.
The Rosemary has been flowering for a few months now, especially the prostrate one which started first. I suppose it will finish as the weather heats up – I’ll try to notice when it does.
Dear Cath, the Absent Gardener,
Oh my goodness, such breathtaking photos of the honey bees! The second one on this page (the two bees in the white blossom) would be absolutely perfect to illustrate the “in memoriam” page of a poetry anthology I’m about to publish. The book also includes a prose poem about a tree with white blossoms and yellow pollen, which won first prize in our journal’s first poetry contest.
Would you be willing to allow us to reproduce your lovely photograph in our little book? ( https://absentgardener.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/image26.jpg )
We would, of course, include a note to credit the photographer (whose full name we would need), as well as a link to your blog where the photo first appears. And we would be happy to mail a complimentary copy of the book to the photographer, which I’m assuming is you. 🙂
Please forgive this last-minute request and our extremely tight deadline, but I hope to hear from you right away! My email address is KYSOWebmaster@gmail.com.
All best wishes,
–Clare MacQueen, Publisher
http://www.kysoflash.com and KYSO Flash Press
Hi Clare,
Thanks for your post and request. I would be happy for you to use the photo and will contact you by email. I would love a copy of the book too!
Postscript to Cath: We have just enough space in the book to include a 50-word biographical note for the photographer. If you would prefer anonymity instead, that’s certainly all right; we’re happy to include the copyright notice and image credit (Photographed by Cath, the Absent Gardener) beneath the photograph itself, along with the link to your blog… All best from Clare 🙂