June 6, 2018…..I can’t say if these echiums are “Towers of Jewels” or “echium Pininana,” but I’m quite sure they came from the seeds of my original single plant purchased from my favorite nursery in October of 2013. They called it a “Tower of Jewels.” “Your bees will love it.” They were right.
A couple of years ago, Johann, one of our young neighbors, wanted to start a garden. My wife and I grow many bee-loving flowers and donated a couple of little echium starts to him for as you may know, once an echium decides to bloom, it will attract the pollinators and start many little seedlings.
On one of our daily walks last month, Johann flags us down, “You know those plants you gave me? They grew real tall.” He pointed them out and I could see the tops of them from the backyard. I haven’t made any videos for a long while and asked if I could shoot one. Then I remembered that he was a musician…maybe he could provide some music. This is the collaboration along with some scenes from around the neighborhood.
May 22, 2017…Lupines, planted from seed last year are bringing in the bees.
When I saw all the bees on the Lupines I got out the camera. I noticed the bees would land on the bottom petals (referred to as ‘wings or sails,’). They would separate and what looked like a spike (referred to as a ‘keel’) would rise up. When the bee lifted off, the petals (wings) snapped shut over the keel. I had to find out more, so I consulted with Darcy Grahek of “Go Native Nursery,” at Bandon High School. Darcy said that the stigma (female parts) AND the anthers (male parts) are contained within the keel.
May 30…Bee lifts off lupine blossom after rubbing it’s body on the ‘keel.’ Petals (or ‘wings’) will close over keel. Watching the video, you’ll see the stigma poking up through the tip of the keel after the bee lifts off.
By rubbing it’s body on the keel, the bee pollinates the flower when the anthers touch the stigma and the bee picks up pollen. For a more detailed explanation scroll to lupin in Sexual Reproduction in Plants,by Johny Thomas.
The ‘keel’
I pulled off the outside petals (referred to as sails or wings) of the keel, revealing the pollination parts of the flower. The female part is the stigma (longer). The male parts are the anthers which can be seen atop the (shorter) filaments. When the bee rubs it’s abdomen against the keel, the pollen on the anthers comes in contact with the stigma and pollination occurs while the bee is rewarded with grains of pollen. Win-win.
April 21…The turnips are blooming. Why is that important? Because the bees are getting the pollen. Pollen that is high in protein, with all the essential amino acids, and is highly digestible. Last October, we planted the turnips as a cover crop and intended the blossoms to mature early in spring, but we didn’t realize that the pollen was so nourishing. Apparently, the bees do well on it, so well it can lead to swarming. I just hope I can capture the swarm.
Pollen sacs full. (A lucky shot with an iPhone)
For several days (when it’s not raining) the bees have appeared on the front of the hive. I think they’re waiting for a sunny day. “Be patient, little critters, good weather is coming soon.”
…but it’s pretty effective. This is my Warré hive winter protection from high winds driving copious amounts of rain against my hive. Since October, we have gotten 66.5 inches of rainfall (1689 mm).
A look through the observation window in December shows lots of natural honey comb.
I think this bright yellow pollen is from the Hooker Willow which thrives in soggy wet soil along The Oregon Coast.
I’ve been somewhat afraid to write about my bees. They seem to be doing fine with my efforts to protect them, but I didn’t want to jinx them. This is the end of February. The Hooker Willow has started flowering and bees are returning with bright yellow pollen, so I think they will make it. Also the gorse (Ulex europeaus) is blooming as it always does in February. The video shows bees on both.
Want to grow spinach? We have been wildly unsuccessful in growing it, but guess what…steamed turnip greens taste just like spinach. It turns out they are very easy to grow and are good for you too. This was supposed to be a mixture of several cover crop seeds, Fava beans, Winter Rye, and Hairy Vetch included. It looks like the turnips took over. Uh, I might have broadcast them a little thick. My “solar-roller water pump panel” is positioned for the afternoon sun. Gotta keep the flow going. 🙂
Turnip flowers in January provide nourishment for bees in the critical winter months.
October 8…This bed was planted August 1. Turnips grow fast. Plant them thick, then you can harvest the thinnings by steaming the greens. Leave a few to go to flowers in winter.
We’ve been getting three crops a year in our raised beds. This was lettuce last winter, then kale, now turnips. In between we bury crab shell when we can get it. This being October, that resource will soon be gone.
Oct. 10…My sweetheart made a delicious turnip soup for dinner this evening. These turnips were planted in early August. They grow fast!!!
Oct. 8…just in case we haven’t planted enough turnips, here is another bed started…complete with drip water grid.
Oct. 15…Turnips are up already. The shade cloth is to protect the little darlings from the hurricane force winds and 12-18 inches (300-450mm) of rain that was forecast…didn’t happen, at least, not yet.
Turnip soup recipe
Chop an onion, saute in olive oil, add 4 to 5 cups of peeled chopped turnips, two garlic cloves (peeled and cut in half), add two teaspoons of smoked paprika, and teaspoon of thyme leaves. Cook until lightly brown, add three cups of vegetable or chicken broth, salt to taste. Bring to boil and simmer until veggies are cooked. Blend in blender, return to pan, add a cup of milk, or milk alternative.
I love the May garden. Everything is so lush and and green.
May 8…Looking over the garden to the southwest, Sue’s foxgloves (grown from seeds) provide the foreground colors, the volunteer Tower of Jewels (or echium Pininana) to the left, yellow turnip and kale flowers all attract the bees.
The potatoes are up. I just tilled between the rows with the little cultivator below.
For several years, we tried to garden without using fossil fuel. We prided ourselves on the ability to spade the garden and then hoe out the weeds. But now we’re several years older. Last month when we were faced with the task of planting potatoes, my wife says, “Let’s get the old Troy-Bilt tiller out.” Yes, it started on the second pull, but it also is waaaay too big for the raised beds. Reverse doesn’t work on it anymore and plus…it uses fossil fuel!!! Enter the battery-powered Greenworks cultivator. It’s easy to use, works well in the raised beds, and USES NO FOSSIL FUELS!
Peas planted outside…first time in about 25 years (because of the deer fence.) I added a couple of rows of carrots in the middle after I tilled it one more time.
Buckwheat is growing well, tomatoes need cages, peas and carrots, potatoes in far back.
May 2…..Sue plants some corn.
…and a second batch of lettuce.
Just for the fun of it, we bought some giant lobelia (Lobelia fistulosa) for the hummingbirds and bees. A daisy to the left and the Knockout dahlia in the center back. The dahlia has flowers that attract leaf cutter bees (at 1:18) It’s fun to watch the leaf cutters in action.
II had to get creative with the drip water grid for the squash. I’ve been accused of planting the squash too close together in years past. This time, there are only 5 hills here, where I’ve planted 10 or more hills before. The idea is we will get more if we don’t crowd them. I left the turnip flowers for the bees (and for next year’s seeds)
Drip watering gets the water to the customer without wasting any.
Another look at it…I think these are Sugar Pie Pumpkins.
There’s never enough room for squash. We are trying some ‘container squash’ this year. It’ll trail down over the stump grinding experiment.
These squash are up against the fence for a reason. They get the morning and afternoon sun. We might try using the fence to trellis them. The upside…more squash. The downside, I’ve got to water by hand unless I figure out a drip water solution.
April 16…Andrea called to let us know she had a newly formed swarm, hanging about chest high off the yellow plum tree…did we want it? “ABSOLUTELY!”
It was pretty easy to ‘pop’ the bees into the bucket…
…and into a Warré hive. Back to having bees again. Thank you, Andrea Gatov!
I’ve been protecting this echium plant for two years. It has finally paid off with these bluish-red blossoms. Just in time for the bees. I think this is Wild Prettii echium.
The day after we hived Andrea’s swarm, the bees were all over this shapely echium plant.
One of our new guests partakes of the nectar.
Yellow-faced bumblebees like it too.
Turnip flowers collect bees. Is that a ‘hat’ on Bee Beard Log Hive???
December 19, 2015…The Grand Kids Log Hive is going strong, I’m happy to say. I know the anchors are probably not necessary, but I can hear the heavy gusts of wind hitting at night and I got tired of imagining the tall hive tipping over. Now I can sleep better.:)
December 30, 2015…The temperature inside the hive is a chilly 46˙F (7˙C), and yet the bees were flying this cold day.
12-30-15…The bees broke ranks for a short time in the afternoon. I was relieved to see them after viewing the cold temp on the probe thermometer in back. When they’re in a cluster, you can’t see them in the viewing window.
December 18, 2015…Bee Beard Log Hive might be feeling his age, but the bees still like it as can be seen in the video.
12-19-15…my only Warré, having lost the other two during the summer. After seeing too much moisture on the bottom board, I removed it and tacked some black plastic film on three sides. We’ve been having record rainfall in December and it’s possible rain was entering on the observation window sides. I hope this helps.
November 26…All is quiet. The birdhouse bees didn’t make it. I was hopeful this year because they came through the three month winter shadow last winter, but I must have lost them between October and late November.
December 18…I shot another photo when the weather warmed back up. Doesn’t look like anything is moving in there.
Empty comb at the front. I guess I can hope they are clustered somewhere back in there, but that’s just a sliver of hope.
The green tree hive is entering it’s third winter. If numbers mean anything, this hive is a survivor. With the sun so low these days the light can reach through the branches to get the bees flying relatively early. Often its the only hive flying. I’m always happy to see the bees flying especially after a ‘rocking’ big storm. This hive is totally intervention free. No mite strips, pollen paddies, or sugar water, it just keeps on going. It’s slightly above my height when I’m looking at it, so occasionally an incoming bee will alight on my ear. “Ooops, sorry I’m in your flight pattern.”
January 1, 2016…The pussy willow tree is getting ready to bloom.
1-1-16…Willow buds are swelling
More willow buds. “Hang on, little critters, It won’t be long before pollen is available.”
So I’m back to four hives. I’m a little worried about the Warré hive, because of all the moisture inside. I’m hoping the sheet of black plastic I tacked on three sides will cut the wind and moisture back. In the video you can see bees tossing out dead bees. I always think of that Doors song with Jim Morrison chanting, “Bring out your dead,” over and over again.
I’m a treatment-free beekeeper for better or worse. I can’t bring myself to believe that killing the varroa mites will solve any problems. I’m of the opinion that we will NEVER rid the bees of varroa mites. The bees MUST adapt, because eventually the mites will develop a resistance to the poison and then what do you do? I say let the bees adapt. Let the weak hives go.
I’m not feeding the bees anything either. I saw bees bringing in pollen into my Warré hive in December. It could be ivy or even gorse. If they can hang on just a bit longer, they will get pollen from the pussy willow blossoms. Jonathan Powell of the Natural Beekeeping Trust, also explains the risks of sugar very well at about 3 minutes into this you-tube video.“Studies have shown that sugar destroys the bees internal intestines and also it destroys a very particular enzyme call the P450 enzyme which the bees use to counteract some of the pesticides and toxins they find in the environment. So by feeding sugar, we may be averting a starvation if you’ve taken too much honey, but we are also damaging the bees.” And here’s another article about feeding anything can be detrimental to the hive. (including honey)
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 