Best trees

[Swarm]

Don't worry they will - if they're anything like Carmarthenshire - who thinks of the ratepayer as a cash cow to be milked dry, they won't spend a penny on anything unless they have to - just had a very trying community council meeting last night and crossed swords with the leader of Carmarthenshire council on various matters including pollinators so I haven't quite stepped off my soapbox yet! (I know that every circus has to have a clown - but not often do they put him in charge!!) You should move just a little further South and East - the Cothi river corridor is chocker with it!

Sounds very much like ours, land for development always seems high on the agenda, whereas developing the land is left to assassi ... one dimensional contractors who strim everything flat.
We had a leaflet lately, informing us we were going to have some planters. So far, three sections of concrete pipe have been plonked on an island of chippings and painted brown. I won't be holding my breath that they plant anything more than the usual Begonia, Impatiens, Geranium plantings.

 

[waverider]

Really helpful post Goran, thanks now I need to look up Cornel, never heard of it!

Cornus mas

 

[Swarm]

Cornus mas

Used by some bowyers. Dogwood.

 

[user 6228]

Gorse, ivy, heather... A combination for honey and pollen to overwinter.

 

[Goran]

Cornus mas

Yes.

 

[Elaine]

Malus Evereste (crab apple). Never seen a tree covered in so much blossom each year and of course bees of every sort. Heavy crop of crab apples for birds and possibly humans but never tried them.

Crab apples are too sour and hard to eat as they are - but Crab Apple Jelly is good with cold meats - and easy to make.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Used by some bowyers. Dogwood.

What - sausage makers?!

 

[theeggman]

We first came across Tetradium (evodia) at The Garden House nr. Tavistock, it was in flower but you couldn't see the flowers for the bees.
We managed to buy one which has snuffed it this winter just gone.
After a quick goggle the prices seem to be now £15 - £25 so we've ordered some seeds and the bees will have to wait a bit longer.

Tim

 

[psafloyd]

Yes.

Hey, what's that blue stuff in the first and fourth pictures?

 

[Goran]

Hey, what's that blue stuff in the first and fourth pictures?

These days also we here could ask what is that blue stuff.. Rain and cloudy weather.. Also to be in topic - of the fruits which gives plenty of early pollen for bees - hazel.

 

[enrico]

This has been my experience. I haven't stuffed my colonies with syrup yet, because they always seem to have so much from the late summer/early autumn.

Even when I've fed, it;s been a relatively small amount of fondant –*no more than a kilo on any hive this winter.

I don't understand why the ivy in my area doesn't flower until November! My bees have never been able to use it. It's just always too late
E