Blooming at Thistle Hill this week

• Mustard
• Sumac
• Anise Hyssop is just coming out
• Catmint
• Borage has started!
• White sweet clover
• White clover
• Milkweed
• Buttercups
• Brown-eyed Susans

Sumac

The bees are all over the staghorn sumac as its flowers near their end.

Milkweed

Honeybees love milkweed. I got this shot this afternoon on a walk at Thistle Hill.

White Clover is Blooming

June 22-28, 2009 - National Pollinator Week

Do something for pollinators this week!

In New York City, they had a Beekeepers' Ball to raise awareness and kick off a push-back at local laws prohibiting beekeeping in New York. (Many large cities permit beekeeping.)

We're already starting to plan our own Vermont Beekeepers' Ball!

Top Bar Hive Report

Opened up the new, small top bar hive in which I hived a sizeable swarm last Wednesday, 6 days ago. They've started making their beautiful new white comb. Photos soon. This tbh is a little small. I'm not sure what I'll do when they outgrow it.

White Clover

The white clover season is going strong. We're out here in western NY state for a few days, south of Rochester. Interesting to see what is blooming here. They have a lot of yellow sweet clover, a good bee plant. I'm seeing lots of bees on white clover. The sumac is about out. I have this theory that that's the next big honey plant in the Champlain Valley. Can't wait to get home Friday and see if the bees are on it.