Its a Bee Thing

  Fall is great on so many things but unless you leave a lot of weeds....errr...wildflowers in your yard, there is just not a lot for the bees and butterflies to eat.  Both of those depend on the pollen and nectar to help them overwinter or migrate...whichever the case may be.  The honeybees have a particular fondness for the lovely Confederate Rose that springs up early each year but blooms mostly in fall.  The large saucer-sized blooms open white and then turn a dark rosy pink during the day then back to almost white late in the evening.  Being a hibiscus, the blooms have a large pollen-making parts which is a boon to the bees.  

  To overwinter, the bees need to lay in a supply of honey.  This honey is what will feed the newly hatched the bees in early spring.  The stored honey will nurture the bees until they can find flowers to start the honey-making for the season.  

  This afternoon as we were coming up from the pier, Mark drew my attention to the large blooms along the side of the board path.  We both admired the lovely blooms and the tiny visitors that were stocking up on the life-giving pollen.  By having the Confederate Roses in the yard, I felt pretty good about the chances of the bees surviving another year.  Well, I have done my part!  The weeds (wildflowers) are in full bloom since I have not cut the grass in a month and these hibiscus blooms are adding to the wealth for the bees!  Nice!