Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Hemlock on November 01, 2010, 04:04:38 PM

Title: Spring Plant order
Post by: Hemlock on November 01, 2010, 04:04:38 PM
I'm putting together a list of flowers to plant in spring.  In the 'Blooms in Fall' category is  Pineapple Sage  &  Mexican Sage.  Both currently blooming & covered in bees.

However, Monks-Hood is blooming right now too.  Does anyone know if Monks-hood contributes to bees?  I need a semi-shade tolerant flower and it fills the bill.

Thanks
Title: Re: Spring Plant order
Post by: BeesNeeds on November 01, 2010, 05:49:44 PM
I know bumblebees like monkshood..
Title: Re: Spring Plant order
Post by: beewitch on November 02, 2010, 12:21:50 PM
I have lots of monkshood, but it's the Bumbles that are into it.  Never seen my honeybees interested...
Title: Re: Spring Plant order
Post by: mathew on November 02, 2010, 06:19:24 PM
My bees were all over Aster (purple with yellow centre) during Fall. I'm going to stock up on lemon balm for my bee yard.
Title: Re: Spring Plant order
Post by: L Daxon on November 02, 2010, 11:24:22 PM
I have a pretty large herb garden (15x25 ft.) and it seems like the bees really like virtually everything in it:  different sages, fennel, thyme, parsley, rosemary, basil, different mints, chives, yarrow, lavender, etc. 

I especially like the chives and basil as they just finished blooming and gave the girls something to forage on this fall when there wasn't much else around. But it seems like there is always some herb in bloom to keep them busy.  I didn't really realize what prolific bloomers herbs were until I started keeping bees.
Title: Re: Spring Plant order
Post by: Hemlock on November 03, 2010, 12:35:46 AM
Yeah,  I have seen a few Bumbles on the Monks hood but nothing else as yet.

I'll have to see if a can get 'Asters',  I'll need to look them up since I'm not familiar with them.

The first year of beeking a large patch of mint was in front of the hives.  We found 2 full frames loaded with mint flavored honey.  Which we kept for ourselves.  I'm hoping to do that again forever!