the warmer months here in Illinois have brought so many flowers in bloom — even though they fade as fast as the moisture after a rain storm
we have had a very interesting last few weeks
:: a bee swarm
:: a new hive
:: thistle control
on a calm day you can hear the relief from the heat when the bees zoom around up and under the cucumber plants, inside the lettuce plants or taking refuge beneath the large towers of broccoli
when my fingers around the tomato plants pinching off the suckers, i keep hearing the bees just happy as can be walking around the blooms... busy busy...
they are never lonely while they are in the garden
as i am out there tending the plants, i wonder how it is gathering the pollen from warm plants — rather than cool and wet from a morning dew... are they more content? do they get agitated with the heat?
after countless days now living amongst these amazing creatures, I would have to come to the unscientific conclusion that yes indeed they get agitated with the heat... they are protecting the hive even more (I can vouch for this, for I am the recipient of their eagerness to protect their hives from 'danger' — my sore neck is testimony)... the prairie clover was not in as full abundant glory as it was last year (most likely because of the heat and the timing of the burn we did)... we even have foreign bees — visitors mind you — that struggle between the many zooms from our bees
it sounds as though we are out there amongst a swarm of bees doesn't it?
honey frame waiting to be uncapped
well, at times it is like that... talking a stroll from the back door to the potager is a journey (albeit a short one) that is surrounded by blooming catmint, roses, primroses, hydrangeas, foxgloves, snapdragons, iris, peonies, daylilys, monarda, daisy, lavender (yes, we sure do cram it all in a small space!)
these little black bottom 'visitors' (not our bees) compete for the pollen, but ours win in the end... they have a home here — even though the 'visitors' are welcome (they are pollinating) — however, our bees are well loved and cared for... there is so much to learn... I don't think anyone will ever truly understand and figure out the bees' life, even though many have tried, and I would love to count myself as one of those individuals some day... I would love it someday for Jason and I to have more hives, and study them, grow more flowers for them, and aid in the development and awareness of the honey bee... how fragile they are!
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shaving off the caps...
we are so happy to share our 'pure prairie honey' once again... it will be ready for purchase soon, and I will make sure to post on it when the bees' honey is bottled and ready to ship
thank you all for your support from last year's harvest... it is vital for our planet Earth to have the honey bee thrive...
xo+pure prairie blessings,
all photographs taken 2 days ago during our honey harvest