Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: reinbeau on March 22, 2008, 10:22:44 PM

Title: Signs of Spring
Post by: reinbeau on March 22, 2008, 10:22:44 PM
The girls were flying just a bit today, I caught one on the crocus:

(http://annzoid.com/images/forums/bees/spring-bee.jpg)
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: JP on March 23, 2008, 01:36:47 AM
Ann, what a nice picture! Those flowers are beautiful!!


...JP
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on March 23, 2008, 02:48:04 AM
AAAHHH she is a cutely...Spring YAY!
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: reinbeau on March 23, 2008, 09:50:42 AM
They are pretty, aren't they? They're in a protected spot in full sun, so they've opened wide, the others in the yard haven't dared open yet!
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: Gerald in Ga on March 23, 2008, 12:10:06 PM
  Howdy reinbeau,
    What kind of flowers are they? Thank you.
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: reinbeau on March 23, 2008, 12:51:55 PM
Gerald, they're crocuses, early spring flowering bulbs, very common, once you plant them (in the fall) they come back year after year.  This particular patch is about 30' from their hive - in the flight line to our neighbor's witch hazel that's been in full bloom for about a month.
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: Gerald in Ga on March 23, 2008, 01:22:59 PM
Thank you very much reinbeau. If they grow in Georgia, I'll have some soon.
Looking back and seeing the line above the picture now. Duh!
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: reinbeau on March 23, 2008, 02:56:50 PM
Oh, they'll grow in Georgia for you, you'll get them earlier than we do up here!  Enjoy them, they're fun.  You can probably get them this fall at any big box store or via mail order - Dutch Gardens is a good source.
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: Rich V on March 24, 2008, 12:52:29 AM
Thats a very nice picture, Thanks, it brighten my day.
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: wtiger on March 24, 2008, 06:13:15 PM
Those were blooming at my parents house, but the hard freeze and snow killed them off on easter.  I'm really hoping that was the last of the snow.  I'm ready for spring, but we've only been getting the odd warm day.  Winter just doesn't want to release it's icy grip this year.
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: Kev on March 24, 2008, 08:25:50 PM
Anne, I am sooo jealous. It's so much warmer in just that few hundred miles between eastern Mass and Eastern NY. No crocuses here yet.

Here I'm just feeding bees fondant candy and pollen patties and praying for warmer weather.

The bees are flying. Visiting the grapefruit rinds in the compost and the freshly ground up cherry wood on the mulch pile.

kev
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: KONASDAD on March 25, 2008, 12:06:26 PM
Great photo. Today, I was awakend by a very loud male cardinal singing his little heart out from my window sill! Springing here too!
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: DennisB on March 25, 2008, 01:28:13 PM
Wow, what color!! They are beautiful. Are they wild or did you plant them?

DennisB
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: dpence on March 25, 2008, 02:29:14 PM
Nice Crocuses, I remember my Grandmother having them come up in the spring.  There is a variety called snow crocuses too, they actually will come up in snow.

David   
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: dlmarti on March 25, 2008, 04:05:57 PM
The true sign of spring, I just saw my first drone of the year  :)
A nice fat little bugger.
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: tillie on March 25, 2008, 04:35:43 PM
dlmarti,

I was thinking, like you, that for me, now that I keep bees, the first sign of spring is seeing the first drone in the hive which I did last weekend - hooray - although I love the crocus too.  In Atlanta, everything is blooming forsythia, pear trees, spring is "busting out all over."

Linda T in warming up Atlanta
Title: Re: Signs of Spring
Post by: reinbeau on March 25, 2008, 08:26:15 PM
Oh boy, no drones here yet, it's back down to 31 tonight, and it'll get colder.  I do wish it would actually get warm, I love the winter, but it's the end of March already!  :-\

Quote from: DennisB on March 25, 2008, 01:28:13 PM
Wow, what color!! They are beautiful. Are they wild or did you plant them?

DennisB

I planted them years ago, crocus aren't native to the US, they're from the Turkey/Greece/Mediterranean area.  These are a type of snow crocus, you can get them from any good bulb supplier or, as I said up above, a big box store (although these came from Dutch Gardens years and years ago.)