MissEmmz 26 Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 (edited) Already blossom trees in flower as well as the wattles, and rhododendrons.... back yard a balmy 21 degrees at 3 30 pm today..... roll on the season! Edited November 25, 2018 by Trevor Gillbanks Removed season from title 1 Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Already blossom trees in flower as well as the wattles, and rhododendrons.... back yard a balmy 21 degrees at 3 30 pm today..... roll on the season! While you are enjoying your A side warm westerly on the east coast spare a thought for us getting the B side on the west coast . Link to post Share on other sites
HSV_Darren 275 Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Five Finger flowering in Lower Hutt ATM 2 Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,233 Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Five Finger flowering in Lower Hutt ATM That's pretty amazing, nothing ever flowers in any ATM around here 1 Link to post Share on other sites
tudor 1,568 Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Tree lucerne, tree fuchsia, pussy willow, forget-me-nots, hebe's and lots of other stuff I don't know about ... 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4,675 Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Sugar Syrup right now I found a very strong two box hive last week that was empty of stores It attacked the syrup bucket like a hive possessed 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Jas 438 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 The willows are getting greener by the day so it wont be long before the bees can have a feed , weather depending . Was down on the river flats today and saw plenty of flower buds on the Karaka . My hives got hit hard with Karaka poisoning on two sites , so I'm temped to pull them out while the Karaka is flowering . Plenty of what looks like gorse pollen coming in . 1 Link to post Share on other sites
mischief 140 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Rosemary, thanks to our council planting heaps of them in the town centre, with only a few on my shrubs. Heaps on the brassicas I sow every year for them. Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 2 hours ago, mischief said: Rosemary, thanks to our council planting heaps of them in the town centre, with only a few on my shrubs. Heaps on the brassicas I sow every year for them. Do you sow mustard ? Link to post Share on other sites
mischief 140 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Usually, but this year its mostly turnips and black radish. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 3 hours ago, mischief said: Usually, but this year its mostly turnips and black radish. Do you feed the roots to stock ? Link to post Share on other sites
mischief 140 Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Nope, I dont have stock and realised that I do not like eating these myself. I discovered that if I sow them in late summer/autumn, they go straight to seed/flower in winter/ early spring, just in time for hungry honey and bumble bees to be out and about. Not too sure why I dont have much mustard flowering this year. Must have sown it in areas that I then went and mulched with woodchip. Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 33 minutes ago, mischief said: Nope, I dont have stock and realised that I do not like eating these myself. I discovered that if I sow them in late summer/autumn, they go straight to seed/flower in winter/ early spring, just in time for hungry honey and bumble bees to be out and about. Not too sure why I dont have much mustard flowering this year. Must have sown it in areas that I then went and mulched with woodchip. I have to be careful when I show bee Brasica to avoid them being a host for grey aphid and diamond back moth Link to post Share on other sites
mischief 140 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 I have Fantails to deal with alot of bugs. I dont worry too much about pesky insects. to me that just means there is an imbalance and lack of predator types. I have been trying to include beneficial insect plants and leave weeds alone if they arent in the wrong spot. Grass I pull out on sight if its anywhere outside of the lawn. Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 15 minutes ago, mischief said: I have Fantails to deal with alot of bugs. I dont worry too much about pesky insects. to me that just means there is an imbalance and lack of predator types. I have been trying to include beneficial insect plants and leave weeds alone if they arent in the wrong spot. Grass I pull out on sight if its anywhere outside of the lawn. do you ever have frosts? Link to post Share on other sites
Jaspur M 65 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Does any one know much about this plant here? Bees absolutely love it Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,233 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Could be Indian Hawthorn. Although ours isn't flowering yet. Link to post Share on other sites
Jaspur M 65 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Iv been told its viburnum, not sure if it produces nectar or pollen Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 1 hour ago, yesbut said: Could be Indian Hawthorn. Although ours isn't flowering yet. I tried to buy one a month ago. I had one years ago and I lost it. But none of the garden centres had heard of it. I think 20 years ago there was a wider variety of obscure plants . 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Mummzie 736 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 1 hour ago, Jaspur M said: Iv been told its viburnum, not sure if it produces nectar or pollen I agree that its Viburnum. I've just planted one in our "street beautification" project, along with 2 Hebes and a Grevillia. Google isn't helping much with the pollen or nectar answer, so perhaps a good look at the bees foraging and see if they have full pannier bags....I'm curious too. Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 7 hours ago, Mummzie said: I agree that its Viburnum. I've just planted one in our "street beautification" project, along with 2 Hebes and a Grevillia. Google isn't helping much with the pollen or nectar answer, so perhaps a good look at the bees foraging and see if they have full pannier bags....I'm curious too. Which Viburnum is it . I should plant some , I have read they like clay Link to post Share on other sites
Sailabee 1,102 Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 8 hours ago, kaihoka said: I tried to buy one a month ago. I had one years ago and I lost it. But none of the garden centres had heard of it. I think 20 years ago there was a wider variety of obscure plants . Same problem with plants as so many things - corporatisation. There are 5 big nurseries that have gobbled up the small plant growers, and they are only suppling a minimum of shrubs and tree varieties, while pushing the 'potted colour' thing - providing ongoing sales. At present there are more members in garden clubs than in living memory to get a wider range of plants. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 does anyone know what's affecting this rata tree. I had a big tree defoliate last summer. It seems to have come back with leaf now. can find nothing with google . Link to post Share on other sites
tudor 1,568 Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Would that be myrtle rust ? Link to post Share on other sites
john berry 5,636 Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Looks like some sort of scale insect. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
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