April 08, 2011

Siberian Squill

An excellent source of blue pollen.
"When a honeybee forages for pollen, it grasps the blossom's anthers and chews on them, softening the pollen with its mandibles. In actions that are too rapid to see, the bee moves pollen from mandibles and forelegs with a pair of middle legs, and by means of a highly specialized, intricately tooled pair of rear legs, packs the loose pollen into a pellet that may contain a million grains." - Excerpted from Following the Bloom: Across America with the Migratory Beekeepers by Douglas Whynott

What's Blooming in the 'hood:
Aspen trees
Forsythia
Golden Currant
Pasqueflower – purple pollen!
Grape Hyacinths, Tête-à-tête daffodils and Scilla siberica
Johnny Jump-Ups - take your salad to the next level and garnish with edible flowers.

3 comments:

Solarbeez said...

Hi BBHB,
That's such a gorgeous photo of Siberian Squill. I want to write something about planting it and would LOVE to use your picture. I'd put your credits on it of course. What are your thoughts on that?

HB said...

I would be honored, Solarbeez. My patch of squill and daffodils got trampled when the aspen trees were cut down. I could use a refresher course on planting them.

Solarbeez said...

Thanks, HB. You really captured the bee with the blue pollen well. I can't wait to get my own photos in the spring.

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