What's flowering as forage in your area

[E&MBees]

I'll try that when it fruits this coming year ... in the meantime I've ordered a few rootstocks (St Julied A) and I'm going to try grafting a a few.

What I would really like is a Damson tree but down here they are a pretty rare sight and the nurseries want £33 for a maiden ... anyone out there wih a Damson tree they can take a cutting from ?

I have one.

 

[pargyle]

I have one.

Ahhh ... thank you - I think I may have a couple of scions organised from JBM but if his Welsh ones object to being anglicised I will bear you in mind.

 

[BitterleyBee]

Hi all, just noticed large yew tree in the garden is starting to produce bountiful pollen. Haven’t seen any bees on it although that may be the temperature not warm enough yet. Do bees go for yew pollen at all??????
thanks

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi all, just noticed large yew tree in the garden is starting to produce bountiful pollen. Haven’t seen any bees on it although that may be the temperature not warm enough yet. Do bees go for yew pollen at all??????
thanks

That's interesting I'm not sure.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi all, just noticed large yew tree in the garden is starting to produce bountiful pollen. Haven’t seen any bees on it although that may be the temperature not warm enough yet. Do bees go for yew pollen at all??????
thanks

Never seen bees on mine. If I remember conifer pollen is really low quality.

 

[pargyle]

Never seen bees on mine. If I remember conifer pollen is really low quality.

My garden is surrounded by yew trees ... never seen a bee on any of them.

 

[Wilco]

Just back from a week away and it felt like spring today. Crocus and daffodils out, bluebells and hyacinthoides sprouting at home. Went out to the overwintering site and passed blackthorn in flower, lesser celandines out there too. Willow by the hives in bud but not flowering yet. Some bees bringing in orange pollen so assuming that's from the blackthorn.

Unexpected bonus... The chap looking after my sheep and hens for me last week didn't take any eggs and a few of the girls have suddenly decided it's definitely spring. Before I left only one was laying!

 

[JamezF]

Saw my first dandelion flower of the year at home today. And I think there's one daffodil, too. Then late this afternoon I drove into Wellington to swim and there are loads of both in flower along the verges.

James

 

[Big ears]

I know it’s not a flower but have seen ladybirds out and active. Far too early

 

[Nannysbees]

I know it’s not a flower but have seen ladybirds out and active. Far too early

I saw a ladybird and a butterfly!!!!!

 

[user 20917]

Mahonia japonica, a nice flower which attracts bees and has a nice smell.


.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Not so much as flowering forage but driving to apairys over the last few days I noticed some of the hedgerows starting to leaf up in the valleys, mainly on the main road sides.

 

[alancooper]

Willow pollen loads were being brought in this afternoon for the first time this season.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

snowdrops are beginning to go over, uncle Rhys's daffodils in the apiary hedge started to open on St David's day and the crocuses under the apple trees popped up and opened today

 

[Amari]

snowdrops are beginning to go over, uncle Rhys's daffodils in the apiary hedge started to open on St David's day and the crocuses under the apple trees popped up and opened today

Have we met uncle Rhys before? I certainly remember great aunt Myfanwy and your second cousin Blodwyn.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Have we met uncle Rhys before

Rhys Hicks was a cousin of my great grandfather (William Jenkins) and was also uncle to my great grandmother's half brother Richard Hicks (long story - shared the same father).
Rhys died in 1972 (I only vaguely remember him)He owned all the farm land around Brynmair (his mother actually sold the plot that Brynmair was built on back during the first world war) sold part of the farm in 1946 for the building of a council estate and one of the many Grenfell factories built at that time (part of which still there behind me), widowed, remarried and retired, buying Brynmair back as a retirement home, he also retained a small corner of one field where he kept bees when he had the farm (which is only two fields away) he used that plot to keep bees and grow flowers. He doted on my father, and he and his first wife being childless always said that my father was their heir. Unfortunately his second wife Mabel was an evil money grabbing baggot so my Dad didn't even get the clock he was promised when Rhys died.
When Auntie Mabel finally turned her toes, I bought Brynmair. As my mother's father said at the time "You must be the only man in the valley that had to buy his own inheritance!"

 

[Fritillary]

Big unclipped box here humming like a swarm in the sunshine today ... full of bees collecting pale yellow pollen. Such a joy to watch them.

 

[Monbees]

Have we met uncle Rhys before? I certainly remember great aunt Myfanwy and your second cousin Blodwyn.....

I'll bet you're sorry you asked ...

 

[Newbeeneil]

Saw these whilst out today!

 

[Murox]

Violets are real stalwarts aren't they, not called February's 'birth flower' for nothing.