Apiary Garden / Bee Garden

Daisies, dandelions, hawthorns, blackberries

I haven't seen many honeybees on the dandelions or daisies.  They are eating something.  I don't know what. 

Caryopteris "Dark Night"  and Canothus  TLC plants from close-out sale.

These plants are in place for a better tomorrow.  They won't look like much for a year or two.  They will need to be moved next year - will run out of room.  This 'nursery' is good for now.

Catnip, lavender, lemon balm

Also in 'nursery'.  I grew the catnip from seeds.  Next year it will have its own location.  The lavenders were small seedlings, need more time to grow.  The lemon balm is volunteer from yard in Vancouver. 

Blackberries, Tilia americana, lemon balm

Each of the trees gets a surround of an herb.  Lemon balm, mint, oregano.  Oregano is more compact compared to the other two - better choice for smaller trees.   There is marjoram by the house -  also compact, would be a good choice for smaller trees.

Buddleia  hybrid "Miss Molly"

So far not a lot of insects on the Buddleia's.  might be a mistake.  They look nice.  One of the few shrubs in bloom now.  They are deer and rabbit resistant and should tolerate the dry summers with minimal effort.  I did see butterflies on one.  So they stay.

Cilantro in bloom

This bed went to wildness.  Cilantro is blooming - can provide seed if I time it right.

Lavatera "Barnsley Baby" - started as seedling.

This lavatera was buried by snowpeas and turnip greens.  Blooming now.

Apiary yard

Nice setting for apiary.

Daisies and wild flowers

Wildflowers

Clover and dandelions

Shrubs by the road

 The shrubs don't look like much  now.  Come Spring, they should take off and grow and bloom.  TLC this year, pays off next year.  Lots of grass clipping mulch.

Shallots in bloom

 Allowed the shallots to bloom.  I don't care much about the bulb formation.  When the flowers are done, I'll dig them up.

Perovskia / Salvia rusa "Little Spire"

 Te leaves of this Perovskia have a nice medicinal fragrance - not exactly like sage or lavender, but there is a similarity.  I'm doing to expect it to double in size next year.  I was browsing Lowes garden department, and noted honeybees concentrating on the Perovskia.   So I bought one.

Caryopteris "Dark Night" and Penstemon "Red Riding Hood"

They can be moved when bigger.   The Caryopteris came from Yard and Garden Land - same situation, they had more bees than any nearby plant.  Back to Lowes, the Penstemon was a major bee magnet, better than lavenders.  They are over the hill, but the plan is to build up the apiary garden for next year and the year after. 

Shallots and Bees. And spider.

 I let the shallots bloom for more bee forage.  It's OK if that results in smaller shallots.  These are "Holland White".  The name refers to the shallot itself, not the flower.  I think.   It's a pretty flower very dramatic.  Native bees - tiny bees and bumblebees - forage the flowers as well as honeybees.  Possibly more than the honeybees.

 White shallot flower provides camoflage for white apivorous spider.   I'll guess, white crab spider.

Other bee forage in bloom, dandelions, clover, thistle.  They like the thistle more than the dandelions and clover. 

Chicken Tractor

Chicken Tractor

Overwintered Deck Plants, in bloom

Brugmansia

 These were the deck plants that i let dry out in late fall, then stored in the garage.  In April, I got them out and watered. The brugmansia also needed a larger container.  Now all blooming nicely.

Agapanthus, Zantadeschia, Dianthus

Geraniums

Moving a mature grape vine. At least 6 months later.

Tiny buds

I think it was December when I moved this grapevine.   This is a green grape, seeded, bought at Vancouver Farmer's Market.  I don't know the variety. It was 11 years old.  It had grown up into a tree, maybe 20 feet tall. 

I dug it up and moved it to the Battleground place.  Pruned severely because of root loss.  No growth this spring.  Assumed it was dead.  The only reason I didn't cut it off or dig it up was lack of ambition.

Now the trunk has 2 growing buds.  Tiny.  Interesting.  It might survive after all.   If it does, then every plant, shrub, tree that I moved here, survived.