bell heather in flower

[keith pierce]

when does the bell heather start to come into flower. i am thinking of moving a few hive to the mountains for it.

 

[susbees]

Local conditions. "Ireland" isn't that helpful...

 

[keith pierce]

local conditions. "ireland" isn't that helpful...

what!!!!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bell is in full flower now in this area,has been for a couple of weeks.

 

[keith pierce]

Bell is in full flower now in this area,has been for a couple of weeks.

Thank you very much , for you helpful responce

 

[mexbigshow]

what!!!!

i think susbees was simply asking which part of ireland you were in as plants flower at different times in different locations

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bell is in full flower now in this area,has been for a couple of weeks.

And here

 

[oliver90owner]

None in flower around here. No mountains, either.

I could never understand how the 'mountain bike' craze ever got going in Peterborough or Cambridge (~30 years ago). Nothing more than a 'kerb height' for miles and miles.

RAB

 

[susbees]

i think susbees was simply asking which part of ireland you were in as plants flower at different times in different locations

. Whilst it is very interesting to know what is going on elsewhere in the UK/Ireland/France with flowering seasons even a few miles can make a big difference. Altitude, how sheltered, how far north, south, east or west and the vagaries of the climate...

And your location is given as "Ireland". Now we have grouse moors and heather from Wick to Shropshire but do you expect us to consult the web to find out exactly what areas of Ireland have heather and make a random guess based on that? Or would you prefer an accurate, informed answer from someone in your area?

But if you watch this space I can let you know what it's doing on the N Welsh moors later.

 

[susbees]

None in flower around here. No mountains, either.

I could never understand how the 'mountain bike' craze ever got going in Peterborough or Cambridge (~30 years ago). Nothing more than a 'kerb height' for miles and miles.

RAB

When we had 5 acres on the Cambs/Norfolk border we made two "hills" from the spoil from next door's building works of over six feet....and wondered if they should be registered as contours

 

[huntsman666]

Perhaps you mean ling heather?

Bell heather flowers in the spring.

 

[drumgerry]

Bell heather flowers in the spring.

Again local conditions prevail - bell heather is in flower right now with me. Never seen it in flower in Spring.

 

[huntsman666]

What you find in the mountains is ling heather which starts to come into flower generally around mid July/August and it's an acid loving plant.

Bell heather flowers in the spring and is more usually seen in gardens as it likes alkaline soil. I have a nice established bed of bell heather in my garden and the bees just after winter - love working it. Being a low growing dense plant it provides a lot of protection if the bees are working on a breezy day.

The flowers of both types are quite different when you look close.

 

[garethbryson]

when does the bell heather start to come into flower. i am thinking of moving a few hive to the mountains for it.

I hope your in the south because all the heather up here in the north was burnt ta blazes during the last really dry spell..

 

[drumgerry]

What you find in the mountains is ling heather which starts to come into flower generally around mid July/August and it's an acid loving plant.

Bell heather flowers in the spring and is more usually seen in gardens as it likes alkaline soil. I have a nice established bed of bell heather in my garden and the bees just after winter - love working it. Being a low growing dense plant it provides a lot of protection if the bees are working on a breezy day.

The flowers of both types are quite different when you look close.

You're not seriously saying I don't know the difference between the two are you? Where I live we have mountainsides full of heather - it's not much of a garden plant around here!

Bell heather flowers on the lower slopes of the heather moors near me. It flowers about a month before the ling. The flowers of bell heather are very different from those of ling and as I get most of my honey crop from ling it pays me to know what it looks like

 

[huntsman666]

Of course you know what you know but so do I.

I suppose it's like the saying; 'Every square is a rectangle but every rectangles isn't a square.'

Let me put this another way. Ling heather only flowers in the autumn, bell heather depending on the cultivar can bloom for most of the year.

Gardeners tend to plant bell heather for spring/early summer flowering as it's great ground cover for say a rose bed and they can get alkaline tolerant bell heathers.

 

[drumgerry]

And my point was that the bell heather we mean here when we talk about bell heather is the wild version. And that doesn't flower in Spring. Colin Weightman who knows more than most when it comes to heather honey gives the plant I'm talking about a mention here.

http://www.beedata.com/data2/nutshell_heather_honey.html

It gets on my wick when people make incorrect statements on forums which will mislead those who don't know any better. You were talking about garden varieties of heather and should have said so.

 

[huntsman666]

I hope your wick gets better soon.

 

[Luminos]

if not, new wicks are available at any good beekeeping suppliers...

 

[huntsman666]

Laugh, size might be a difficulty.

Is it the weather that not only has the bees a tad techy but some beekeepers as well?