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flowers bees like

Posted by LaurieK123 none (My Page) on
Fri, Dec 23, 11 at 11:27

I started planting radishes in my garden strictly to let them bolt and bring in the bees. The radishes have always brought in the bees and they stay all day in them. Last year I heard that borage was good and I planted that as well.

Oregon had some whacky weather last year and we had a false spring. Almost everything in my garden bolted. What was nice is that I noticed that I had at least 7 different kinds of bees in my garden, not including bee-flys or fly-bees (whichever way their name goes). My favorite bee I named the teddy bear bee, because it looks like a normal honey bee, but extremely fuzzy all over. But, what was really cool was learning that they all loved my onion flowers most of all.

I wonder if it made someone some bad tasting honey. There would be so many bees on my onion flowers that the flowers would bow under there weight and bounce if too many left at the same time.

I am hoping to learn of more flowers that bees like, because I always expected them to choose things like the apple blossoms and cherry blossoms etc... never onion flowers.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: flowers bees like

Looks like your'e doing the right thing!
Varieties is the key to bring bees to your garden..there can be some bad tasting honey from certain nectar source, not sure about onion's, I never had any problem but some beekeepers south claimed the fall honey from aster, goldenrod smells like sour socks.
Even when you think your apples and cherry are in prime time for bee activity it doesn't mean you'll have bees, they concentrate allway's first on the best available nectar/pollen source. Pear and plums are especially bad because the nectar is very low in sugar content.


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RE: flowers bees like

We have Italian plums and the bumblebees love them! Of course, they bloom so early, there's not much else available...except dandelions and purple hyacinths :)


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RE: flowers bees like

collards are a popular plant with honey bees. leave some in the ground overwinter and they will flower next year. Blossoms are out for a very long time, and you get the benefit of free seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Berkshire Farms Apiary


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