Cut Flowers.

[Millet]

Not that it matters at this time of the year but on walks through our local cemetery (which is big) during warmer days a seed was planted in my thick brain..

Can cut flowers still produce nectar and pollen when in water with the added sachet provided.. ? .

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m sure they do
I’ve seen bees on cut flowers outside a florist and once when I put Stargazers out on a table in the garden the bees were all over the pollen

 

[Zante]

Sorry to derail the thread a bit, but I've been wondering this for a while now, and it's kind-of related: what about having a hive near a garden centre? Would the bees benefit from having what is essentially a flower garden with constant turnover nearby?

I was going to ask a farm nearby if I could place a couple of hives on their land. They raise beef cattle, but there's orchards, sunflower fields and black locust well within range, and this garden centre...

 

[simonforeman]

I don't know the answer to the question but....

My wife loves Lilly's as cut flowers, you buy them as big buds as Lilly's are and when they open in the vase days later you do get loads of orange pollen all over so I would say yes to this but nectar may be produced differently???

 

[Fritillary]

The cut hyacinths I put outside one spring were soon attracting lots of bees.

 

[drex]

My bees are on edge of town and over the hedge from arable land . In summer they head for the country and in Autumn they head in town for the gardens.

 

[mintmoth]

Sorry to derail the thread a bit, but I've been wondering this for a while now, and it's kind-of related: what about having a hive near a garden centre? Would the bees benefit from having what is essentially a flower garden with constant turnover nearby?....

Bear in mind that garden centre plants and flowers are bought in, and may well have been heavily sprayed with pesticides throughout their growing life before they reach the GC to keep them looking pristine for sale.

 

[Zante]

Bear in mind that garden centre plants and flowers are bought in, and may well have been heavily sprayed with pesticides throughout their growing life before they reach the GC to keep them looking pristine for sale.

Good point. Mind you, they might ignore it with all the other forage around, but I can't really help it if they visit the garden centre...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

what about having a hive near a garden centre? Would the bees benefit from having what is essentially a flower garden with constant turnover nearby?

Doubtful - if they are anything like garden centres in this country I should say that 705% plus of plants in garden centres aren't worth a fig to bees.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I have been told by the FSA that a bee farmer was accused of selling imported honey because pollen not of this country was found in a sample of his honey, turned out it came from an apiary where the bees were foraging cut flowers on a cemetery.