Great article and a great reminder, Margaret. Bees are so beneficial.
Thank you!

Thank you Sharon for both the compliment and the help with this article.

I have never thought about bees in winter - much. Interesting.
I have Mahonia (although it is "invasive" in many states) and it is really fun to see bees out on the milder midwinter days going to those flowers. They smell nice too if you can get close enough with that super-prickly foliage. I have an article at DG on it.

Witch hazel is on my wish list too!

A nice thinking-spring topic!

Thank you Sally. Could you post the link to that article? Mahonia is new to me and I'd like to learn more about it.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/...

That should get you there. I haven't read it since it ran so I hope it tells you all you want to know!

Sally, are you interested in witch hazel seedlings? If so, I could send you a cubits link to the place where I ordered some.

I was fortunate to have a colony of Honey Bees take up residence in a locus tree in my back yard 2 years ago. My flowers are just full of them over the summer. I look forward to them visiting my early spring crocus blooms.
To much snow outside for anything to bloom right now. Can't wait for spring.

Chris, that reminds me of the old locust tree that grew in the front yard of the home where I grew up in southeast KY. When it bloomed, it was so full of bees I thought the sound was like singing, they surely buzzed with a rhythm. Oh boy, I miss that tree and those bees and those songs!

Sharon, that tree has been very popular in my yard, it has been the home of a squirrel family, fun watching the babies learning to emerge from the nest and grow up. And I planted a Trumpet vine at its base and it has grown to the top and flowering.
I often see people walking by looking in amazement at the top of that tree with the orange flowers.
It is pretty messy, dropping a lot of branches after a storm but I would really miss it if it had to come down.

They are messy and the thorns are a pain, but oh how pretty! Beautiful picture!

I never thought of adding a trumpet vine, but I did add blue morning glories to a crabapple tree once.
Shocked the neighbors to see blue blooms on a an ornamental crabapple.
Can't find a photo now, but maybe later.

You need a good sturdy tree to grow a Trumpet Vine,



I like the morning glory, crab tree combo. I am doing a clematis-weeping cherry but it is still young and only starting to bloom in the upper branches.

Sally thank you for the link. Mahonia is a vaulable honey bee plant but I think I'll pass on it. As clumsy as I am, I'd be certain to accidently brush against it.

Chris, looks like that trumpet vine is about ready to take the trellis right up the tree with it!!

No bees here this time of year.. which is good because that also means no hornets or wasps. I have beebalm and butterfly bushes for the bees. Had a couple ginormous bumblebees in the yard last year, but I can't tell the difference between a honey bee & any other kind of bee. I know wasps.. and I hate hornets w/a passion (hurt like all get out when you're stung by one.. my leg was swollen on my knee where I was stung by a hornet that got trapped inside my pantleg). But honey bees? No idea.

Toni take a look at this sunflower Wildflowers submitted to my database. It has a good view of a honey bee.

http://cubits.org/thedatabases...

And just look at all the pollen on it's legs! Been a busy bee!

There is a huge black locust tree nearby. I love the scent in the spring, but it is a messy tree - dropping leaves, bark and spent flowers everywhere. The tree harbors carpenter bees and it is a favorite of the woodpeckers. I haven't seen honeybees -only carpenter and bumble bees. The locust bean tree has a huge poison ivy vine climbing it. The neighbors cut the vine, poison it, everything they can think of, but it still comes back. Luckily, only trumpet vines are climbing the black walnut trees. The trumpet vine is apparently immune to juglone released by the walnut trees. I have plenty of trumpet vine seeds if anyone wants some. It drops these long seed pods that look like small snakes...don't know how many times they made me jump!

This is the type of bee I don't purposefully kill (sorry, I don't like to kill critters I don't eat, but I also can't be stung either.. the ER gets too expensive & I hate doping myself!!). I put out the traps for wasps. They always chase off my hummers. :(

Beautiful flower with the bee and I love your bird!

Beautiful flower Toni. I had DH take a look at the bee he said it's not a honey bee. It looks more like a small bumblebee. If you compare the bees in the pictures you'll notice the back end is slimmer on the honey bee than the one in your picture. And yours is bigger than the honey bee.