Spring In Full Blossom

By the end of March and beginning of April Spring had fully blossomed. Our apple tree had an early showing, too. I just knew it would prove an undeniable magnet for T's Bees. They wasted no time. For those two weeks they were pollinating Miss Apple.

The azaleas also were putting on quite a show. And honey bees weren't the only pollinators working the field.

My favorite flower, the dogwood, was going strong. Spring had come early, the first week in February in 2012. Some early dogwoods bloomed and then quickly died. I was happy to see the majority saved up their blossoms for the end of March.

Our collards had also bolted and showed off their colors. I had no idea collards flowers were so pretty. The honey bees didn't seem interested. I guess this classic Southern green is definitely an acquired taste!

As the azaleas and apple trees were at their peak, the red tips began to flower. I'd never seen this before. Fronds of tiny little flowers formed at the ends of the leaves and popped open. They hadn't last year, at least ours. We have the last red tip in our neighborhood and is over 40 years old. T's Bees loved their very quick and tiny blossoms!

Two weeks into April and the apple trees and azaleas were done. Our first roses are on the vine, as are the many blossoms of our raspberry and blackberry brambles. Our blueberry bushes, which blossomed the first week of March, are full of berries. Today, the honeybees were all about the brambles. I was amazed at this all-black honey bee. Was this a feral bee? Was it a legendary German black bee, the original honey bee brought to America? Was this one of my Russian bees, or was this one of my Russian-Charlotte hybrids from one of my two nucs underway? This black honey bee was hypnotic, watching it work. The early spring flowers have me eagerly awaiting that first light spring honey harvest!