Our Backyard Bee Journey!💗🐝

[drstratton]

I like milkweeds out in the field. That's another one I've had to keep on top of to keep out of the garden.

But out in the field? You go, milkweed! You and goldenrod can just take off and spread and feed the bees!

As I empty my garden beds, I'm planting buckwheat as a ground cover. I don't need to worry about it being a problem, as the first frost will kill it. It shades out weeds, and if it has time to flower, the honeybees can have a feast.

Next year, I plan to have a section of the garden planted in buckwheat, just for the bees. And maybe also in some areas that end up getting full of weeds.

Buckwheat honey...

Our Milkweed grows along our driveway. We have trees and water it with dripline. They've been slowly spreading along that. This year, I will take the seeds when they're ripe and spread them all the way up... like you said... grow, grow, grow...

It's great that you can plant buckwheat.

We have raised beds in our garden, getting too old to get down on the ground and then get back up...lol

 

[Sally PB]

Hubby said the best honey he ever tasted was buckwheat.

We have raised beds in our garden, getting too old to get down on the ground and then get back up...lol

I can still do it, but you're right... the getting up is harder than it used to be!

I do all the stuff I used to do, but more slowly, and with more breaks. My goal is to keep being able to do it, no matter what speed.

 

[drstratton]

Has anyone been to a honey tasting room? I thought that would be an up and coming thing, but all I'm finding is mead. I want to taste different honeys, not mead.

The people we bought our nuc's from also have a store front. They have different honey's that you can try. It's amazing the differences in flavor. I love acacia (black locust) honey. We have those in one of our wind break treelines. Some of our neighbors also have them. I can't wait until next year.

 

[drstratton]

Hubby said the best honey he ever tasted was buckwheat.

I tried it years ago. The flavor was quite strong. I'm looking forward to trying it again. I've heard that is one of the healthiest honey's you can eat.

I can still do it, but you're right... the getting up is harder than it used to be!

I do all the stuff I used to do, but more slowly, and with more breaks. My goal is to keep being able to do it, no matter what speed.

Same here, just keep moving and doing!

 

[sourland]

I used to not like goldenrod at all. Then I found out honeybees love it! I still don't let it get started in the gardens, but now I love it out in the field.

When the bees are working it in the fall, you can smell the hives from a mile away.

 

[drstratton]

Here's some of the flowers the girls are loving right now.

Dahlias & cosmos

Alium

Blackeyed Susan

Blanket flower

More dahlias

They even land on the marigolds

 

[drstratton]

When the bees are working it in the fall, you can smell the hives from a mile away.

Interesting. I had someone tell me the same thing about the buckwheat.
Do you like goldenrod honey?

 

[drstratton]

My first gift jars of honey.

 

[Sally PB]

NICE!!!

Beautiful, beautiful!

 

[Sally PB]

One of our neighbors is going to take out their lawn; it's a pain to mow due to the topography. They're putting in wildflowers instead. They also bought a bunch of trees to plant on their property, and one of them is a tulip poplar. Those can be literally dripping with nectar in the spring.

We'll be happy to share honey with them!