What's flowering as forage in your area

[Michael Palmer]

Things are winding down here. After one of the worst crops I've experienced, the Autumn flow hit. Lots of water in the ground. Three weeks of hot, sunny weather. Like the good old days before varroa. At August harvest, most hives were scary light. Now...heavy. Not too much feeding this year...the nucs usually take most of the feed I give. Not this year! So where did it come from? Purple Loosestrife was a strong flow in August...even though our gov't tried to kill it as an invasive. Lasted many weeks more than normal. Two weeks ago I was still seeing green nectar...from PL. Knotweed yielded very well this year. Usually an early September flow. Lots of burr comb with dark honey...the color of buckwheat. Great winter food. And, of course goldenrod. What an absolute awesome goldenrod flow. Like before varroa started. I smelled its ripening nectar...weeks ago. I still can smell the odor today. What's left? Asters. Small White and Multi Flowered White are probably the best for nectar. In full bloom right now. White Flat Topped is a good one, but not much around. Heart Leafed is a beautiful lavender colored aster. And of course the New England aster. One of our Autumn's brilliant colors. All done by the middle of October. After that? Winter rest.