Tag: Bumble Bees
Bumble Bee in Winter
I’m assuming she is a queen, since only the queens are supposed to last through the Winter. In any case, when I first encountered her on a cold morning she looked still and dead, hanging from the Lavender ‘Sidonie’ flower by her front legs.
Winter Tulips and Honeysuckle in a Vase on Monday
My tulips are up. I’m especially happy with these because they are the ones which I’ve dug up and chilled each year for the last 3 years. I know this because all the new bulbs are still small leaves, whereas these red ones are all blooming. I think this is because my fridge has glass doors, so they probably had more light than they should have had during the chilling process.
Continue reading “Winter Tulips and Honeysuckle in a Vase on Monday”
Plants for Bees in Late Summer and Autumn
While I was busy harvesting Tomatoes and Corn and Kumara the bees were harvesting pollen to feed new bees and nectar for honey to keep them going through the winter. Continue reading “Plants for Bees in Late Summer and Autumn”
Flowers for Bees in mid Summer
Artichokes, scarlet runner beans, pumpkin, zucchini, tomatillos and other vegetables, herbs, and flowers were full of bees in January.
Scarlet runner beans are so pretty and useful. This year I collected the mature beans to try as dried beans, since they get past it so quickly. The dried beans are very pretty, but I have yet to taste them.
Oregano flowers are extra popular.
Treats for Bees in Late Spring – November
Bumble Bees were going for pink in November, diving into the big fluffy ‘Fire Circle’ Poppies and the Foxglove ‘Strawberry Merton’ and disappearing, coming out of the foxgloves powdery with pollen.
Continue reading “Treats for Bees in Late Spring – November”
Bee Favourites in Spring
October started with the Pride of Madiera (Echium candicans) covered with tall blue spikes of flowers where bumble bees and honey bees got happy together. At the same time the Lemonwood (Pittosporum eugenioides) was literally humming with honeybees as well.
Artichokes
The artichokes are in full swing now, with enough buds for a good feed each week. We started out with Green Globe and Purple de Jesi seedlings. One of the flowers which was left for the bees turned into a flower full of seedlings – they all just germinated while still in the flower. We planted these and they must have been purple – there don’t seem to be any of the green ones at all anymore. I love to see the bees on the flowers we leave. Sometimes 6 or 7 bumblebees seem to spend the night on a flower – such an extravagant bed.
Bee Party
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.
Absent Gardener 