Bee Food

Pollen and necter ... what make a bee's world go round.  In order to have food for larvae and to store for the winter, bees need lots of it.  The best source of pollen and necter are flower blossoms.  Lots and lots of flower blossoms.  Which is a why bees and I do so well together - we both love things that bloom.  I have lots of flowers - everywhere. Hollyhocks. Daisies. Bee balm and butterfly plant. Azaleas. Poppies. All shades of lilly and clematis vine. Geraniums, petunias and pansies. Wildflowers and unmowed clover scattered in clumps behind the apple trees and blackberries.  Dianthus. Roses. Gladiolas.  Purple coneflowers. Those yellows things whose name I don't know. Cosmos. Columbine. Zinnias. Then there are the herbs - sage, oregano and chive blossoms. Lavender. Thyme. And the garden - tomato blossoms, cucumber. Winter and summer squash. Watermelon. Cantalope. Eggplant and pepper.  My yard can never have too many of this smorgasbord - for the bees gathering food - and for my pleasure in sight, smell and taste.  Bees will travel 5-10 miles from their hive to gather pollen and necter.  So anyone who has a flower or vegetable garden also contribute to the happiness of the bees. And why do we care, some may ask, if the bees have food or not?  Besides their pollinating for the production of fruit, it's the ultimate reward from all of this work - the rich sticky sweet honey  (the true necter of the gods) that they share with us come the end of summer.  That's why we care. Bee food, turned into people food. I can hardly wait.