Bees for the Garden

[3113]

As someone who swells if I get stung, it's a little hard for me to say this, but we need bees! Honey bees, that is. As you may well know, there's been an epidemic of honey bees just leaving their hives. This mysterious problem not only effects the price of honey, but also the pollination of fruit and nut trees. (The price of almonds will be going up because of it).

So, Haagen-Dazs ice cream has started a "help the honey bee" campaign where they're urging people to plant honey bee friendly plants in their gardens to nourish the colonies and restore the honey bee population. They have an odd website for it: Help the Honey Bee

Among the recommended plants are:
Lavender: very easy to plant and maintain and smells wonderful
Sunflowers
Strawberries
Raspberries
Mint

Also certain trees such as cherry, quince and almond, but it's obviously easier to plant plants in even the smallest gardens as compared to trees.

Hey, if you're gearing up to work out in the garden and plant new plants anyway, why not ones that will make the honey bees happy? Little effort and, one hopes, big rewards.

 

[lisa123414]

Thanks 3, for the reminder. Its rather frightening, what is wrong with the honey bees? Youngest son and I planted a "hummingbird and butterfly" packet of seeds last month. We also have wild strawberries everywhere and lavender also. I have never minded bees, although if I am stung it just hurts like stink, then I get over it. I imagine it must be very threatening for those who are allergic.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I have a grapefruit tree, that is not going to bear much fruit this year. In years past, the flowers are so dense that the tree looks like a bridal gown -- and the humming of the bees is deafening.

this year, the bees were audible but nothing like.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I have a grapefruit tree, that is not going to bear much fruit this year. In years past, the flowers are so dense that the tree looks like a bridal gown -- and the humming of the bees is deafening.

this year, the bees were audible but nothing like.

No shortage of pollenators 'round these parts. Both my nectarine and my avocado will be so laden with fruit I'll have to support the branches . . . and that's after thinning the very Hell out of the nectarine.

 

[3113]

No shortage of pollenators 'round these parts. Both my nectarine and my avocado will be so laden with fruit I'll have to support the branches . . . and that's after thinning the very Hell out of the nectarine.

I'd love to help you by taking bushesl of both off your hands I'm imagining avocado on all sorts of sandwiches and in salads and guacamole, and nectarine tart tartan....

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I'd love to help you by taking bushesl of both off your hands I'm imagining avocado on all sorts of sandwiches and in salads and guacamole, and nectarine tart tartan....

Well, how close are you to SoCal? I'm going to have buckets of Mission figs, too and they are absolute Heaven with prosciutto . . .

And I could do with that nectarine tart recipe, just sayin' y'know?

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Oh darn, I just planted some petunias today, and somehow I don't imagine those are quite the thing.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Oh darn, I just planted some petunias today, and somehow I don't imagine those are quite the thing.

Nope.

But if you're planting windowboxes, try Nicotiana. Also called "Three O'Clock, it's a decorative tobacco plant-- and what a heavenly scent!

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well, how close are you to SoCal? I'm going to have buckets of Mission figs, too and they are absolute Heaven with prosciutto . . .

And I could do with that nectarine tart recipe, just sayin' y'know?

She's closer to you than I am.