Category Archives: Honey Plants

Daffodils in December?

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Cherry trees in Washington bloom around April March first. Things are changing. Erik, a beekeeper/writer/blogger in northern Virginia keeps a nice online calendar showing flowering dates in his neighbourhood. It’s only a couple of years old so it just gives … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Climate, Honey Plants | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Noxious Milkweed?

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Ron Miksha

The Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette had a story yesterday about a fellow in Monticello who ran afoul of the law for something he’s growing in his back yard. His crime? Cultivating (Milk)weed. Bee and butterfly enthusiasts know milkweed. So do … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Honey Plants, Humour, Save the Bees | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Whither the Sunflower?

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Ron Miksha

It can feel a little creepy, sitting on a bench on the edge of a sunflower forest with your back to the sun. In that position, all the sunflowers are looking at you. If it’s morning. The marvel of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Honey Plants, Science | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Canola: Canada’s Yellow Carpet

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday I wrote about honey that hurries towards granulation. Canola (the honey plant formerly known as rapeseed) is our local example of quick-setting honey. Canola honey is nice:  white and mild with a slight minty flavour. I like it but … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey Plants | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Elderberry Honey

Posted on July 16, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday I wrote about a lovely honey farm called Arlo’s which is near Kelowna, British Columbia. The farm produces a variety of noms (specializing in garlic) but there is a large well-kept apiary, too. I asked beekeeper Helen if she … Continue reading →

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Sweet Sweet Clover (part 2)

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday, I couldn’t say enough good things about sweet clover. The magic honey plant is just starting to bloom here in southern Alberta. In a few weeks, it will yield so much nectar that bees will plug supers with fine … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Honey Plants, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Sweet Sweet Clover (part 1)

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Every June there is a wash of yellow along the edge of almost every highway and trail in North America. The yellow is from sweet clover that grows and blooms all across the continent. It’s wild and it has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Honey Plants | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Rhodo Poison?

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Ron Miksha

The rhododendron is a beautiful plant, but it’s rumoured to intentionally maim and kill honey bees.  My mother had a favourite rhododendron bush in the yard by our house in the Appalachian foothills. Now that I am older and presumably … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Ecology, Honey Plants, Pollination | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Location, Location, Vocation

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Ron Miksha

My last two blog posts (Alberta is Beekeeping and Canada’s Hive Beetles) were unseemly braggadocious pitches. I wrote about how great beekeeping is on Canada’s western  prairies. Alberta, Canada, has not had CCD, but instead has increasing numbers of kept … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Honey, Honey Plants | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Pollinator Friendly Gardening

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators, by Rhonda Fleming Hayes, is a new book for the gardener who wants to help pollinators. With all the news about loss of habitat, warming climate, and pesticides, most wild … Continue reading →

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