As we head into fall in Texas, there are a few things still blooming that our honey bees like. One of these is Wild Blue Sage.
Frankly, it’s a little surprising to see it at our ranch because it isn’t ideally suited to the soil here. However, there are nearby prairie grasslands where it’s likely these flowers came from originally.
One of our goals is to identify Texas wildflowers that bloom in each season that are bee-friendly. And then seed more of them so that our hives get plenty of nectar and pollen.
As part of testing what works and what doesn’t, in the coming weeks, we’ll be seeding 32 different kinds of wildflowers. Some are annuals and others are perennials. And in December, we’ll seed an additional 7 varieties.
With a little luck, we’ll have wildflowers 10-11 months out of the year so when the weather is warm enough for our honey bees to venture outside their hives, they’ll find plenty of food.