What's flowering as forage in your area

[Gilberdyke John]

It crystallises quicker than OSR and goes really hard and I was always told not to go anywhere near it as it is more trouble than it is worth .
others may have a different story to tell.

I can't say I've knowingly come across mustard nectar/honey but reading some of the dire but generally unfounded comments about osr honey id be wary of such statements without personal experience.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Good olde Borage - 27 hectares

Can I sneak a colony in there?

 

[enrico]

Bit late for that now though?

James

mine is in full flower!

 

[user 20297]

Bit late for that now though?

James

......also a bit northerly here and a bit of a specialised garden vegetable. Red dead nettle is everywhere all the time.

 

[Amari]

Good olde Borage - 27 hectares

Tasteless compared with buckwheat

 

[JamezF]

mine is in full flower!

It's weird the way things work out. I'd have thought you'd be way ahead of us. I have berries ripening on one of my plants.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Tasteless compared with buckwheat

I’d agree there. But not fond of either.
One of my fellow association member has honeydew that’s almost black. I’ve ordered a jar to try.

 

[enrico]

It's weird the way things work out. I'd have thought you'd be way ahead of us. I have berries ripening on one of my plants.

James

Maybe because we harvested for longer, just a thought

 

[Dodge]

In Solihull it appears there is a dearth of nectar, too much rain and wind I think. Nothing has come into my hives for w weeks

 

[Amari]

Whenever I have a bare strip on our allotment I sow either Phacelia or Tubingen Mix (plants good for pollinators from Organic Gardening catalogue), The pic shows a strip of Phacelia sown approx three months ago. There were a few bumbles and a few honeybees thereon but particularly hundreds, probably thousands, of hoverflies. Then suddenly one of my favourite insects, a hummingbird hawkmoth!
https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/humming-bird-hawk-moth

 

[The Poot]

In Solihull it appears there is a dearth of nectar, too much rain and wind I think. Nothing has come into my hives for w weeks

Interesting - I checked the supers yesterday and found them less full than on June 20th, despite an excellent display of bramble all round the fields. I think the long drought we’ve had here has led to a dearth of nectar. I was pretty disappointed.
There’s rain forecast through this week, so I’m hoping the bees get the weather between showers, to get onto it before it gone over.

 

[Aneebe]

Whenever I have a bare strip on our allotment I sow either Phacelia or Tubingen Mix (plants good for pollinators from Gardening Organic), The pic shows a strip of Phacelia sown approx three months ago. There were a few bumbles and a few honeybees thereon but particularly hundreds, probably thousands, of hoverflies. Then suddenly one of my favourite insects, a hummingbird hawkmoth!
https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/humming-bird-hawk-moth

Gorgeous moth. I saw them in France last September and thought I was seeing things. Truly special.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Talking of moths
Posted this one before but thought it might be interesting

View attachment CB5731C0-016B-4FA7-8A21-0CC3289B5147_2_0_a.mov

 

[Garry R]

Since our bit of rain and post cutting of hay/haylage/silage, clover is making an effort to flower but of course it is wet tonight so hope tomorrow the sun might make an appearance to let the bees at it. Similar for blackberries. There's plenty if they get the chance. It's strange the way things pan out. Phenomenal spring and a so-so early summer negating the usual main honey crops. Guess that's what produces averages.

 

[Garry R]

Gorgeous moth. I saw them in France last September and thought I was seeing things. Truly special.

I have seen one of these every year on our lavender in the garden - briefly but really cheers me up. Although the lavender is in full bloom here in Somerset it has not made an appearance yet - perhaps it's a bit cool for it at the moment.

 

[Amari]

Interesting - I checked the supers yesterday and found them less full than on June 20th, despite an excellent display of bramble all round the fields. I think the long drought we’ve had here has led to a dearth of nectar. I was pretty disappointed.
There’s rain forecast through this week, so I’m hoping the bees get the weather between showers, to get onto it before it gone over.

Yes, I added a 3rd or 4th super to most of my hives 10 days ago but yesterday found very little honey in them.

 

[The Poot]

Since our bit of rain and post cutting of hay/haylage/silage, clover is making an effort to flower but of course it is wet tonight so hope tomorrow the sun might make an appearance to let the bees at it. Similar for blackberries. There's plenty if they get the chance. It's strange the way things pan out. Phenomenal spring and a so-so early summer negating the usual main honey crops. Guess that's what produces averages.

I once suffered from the advice of a management consultant who stated “we can’t afford for anyone to be below average this year”.
Management consultants are truly special.

 

[Dodge]

I wish I kept track of when flows happend and don't and the weather.

I thought the main summer flow after the June gap was Brammbe but that has stopped. #confused

 

[user 819]

I didn't see a June gap this year, nectar has been comming in since April and has been constant .

 

[Swarm]

I wish I kept track of when flows happend and don't and the weather.

I thought the main summer flow after the June gap was Brammbe but that has stopped. #confused

Quite a lot of fruit already on the Bramble, any later flowers are being washed out.