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Bees

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  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    The early bees like Pulmonaria rubra, the first of the pulmonarias here, in a good year it's flowering for the New Year's day flower count



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750

    Yeah, my native lungwort was flowering on Christmas day this year and was still in flower in May. It's a good palnt. But if there's no bees about then all the pollen and nectar in the world will go to wast. I have to hand polinate my apples and quinces. I didn't polinate the first quince and I've got nothing, not a one it.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    not short of bees generally here Jim, but not honey bees, or very few.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750

    really? Oh, you're luck, it's really sad here, when I lived in london my wildlower window boxes up on the 5th floor were always teaming with bees and hover flies, each flower would have it own solitary bee. I live in the North East now near two nature reserves, not to mention farms and I hardly see any except for the bumble bees which have three hives in my garden but considering the three hives and a large stump filled with holes for them I really don't see that many. I don't think I'd have had the apples I have had I not done the polinating myself. I have two pears trees which didn't flower at the same time but my neighbours really large tree flowered throughout, I don't have a single little pear. Really sad. I'm glad you have lots though, so it's not all bad news. Send some to me. image

  • SunnydayzSunnydayz Posts: 50

    Hi guys, great advice on plants, we found that leaving an old compost heap alone down the side of the house out of the way, that bees came and nested in it. They kept themselves to themselves and the dog stayed away and was great to see them in the garden.

    My parents found some nesting under a saxifrage on their rockery! Fascinating to watch, Do check out the bee conservation website though, they do updates every month that you can sign onto online.

    You can get charts of different bees to, to try to identify ... all good fun.

     

  • Jim MacdJim Macd Posts: 750

    Thanks Sunnydayz will have a look, By the way, it was wasps that made a home in a pile of wood chips that I had. I disturbed the nest while turning it, thankfully for both of us, the nest had only a few grubs in it which I left for the birds. Oh, my bumble bees make their homes in old wood mouse wholes. I've got three. I even made one from them but they prefer the real thing. image

  • image

    This visitor and many more, really seemed to enjoy the marjoram during the summer months. I think i'll be taking some cuttings next year and have more growing around the garden. They absolutely loved it......and I in turn absolutely loved having them as my guests image

     

  • We're still getting worker bumble bees in the garden - I was watching one busily visiting the flowers on the Clematis cirrhosa Freckles just two days ago image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • You name dropper you image

     

     

  • I always wanted one, now I've got one, I can see it from the sofa, it's covered in blooms and I'm chuffed to bits with it image

    And when I was a child one of my favourite books was about a pony called Freckles image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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