Of Bees and Blossom.

We currently have 3 bee hives in our avocado block. Also in our area just across the road a bee keeper stores hives and some of those bees fly over and visit our trees.
 I took some photos of bees working for us. I was most interested in the flowers or blossoms that were going to produce fruit or nuts for us.

 Perhaps the most attractive flowers were on the feijoas which are just starting to bloom.

( feijoas are related to NZ pohutukawa or Christmas tree )

 No bees there but if fruit is set it will be pickable next April or May.

 Near by the apple tree was attracting some bees.

 It has quite a covering of blossom and it too might have apples ready next Autumn.

Rivalling the feijoa for attractiveness ( in my eyes ) are the Macadamia nuts.

I have enlarged that photo so the bees visiting it are  easier to see.

 Any nuts set will be harvest able next August or later.

 Avocado are one of our commercial ( exportable )  crops and that is why we pay to have bee hives on site for them.

This is the best flowering tree in the top block facing North and getting lots of sun.

 Avocado flowers are tiny but there are millions of them - only a few will survive to become fruit .

There is a bee flying into this cluster of flowers many of which are still buds.

That pic shows the bee about real size so you see how very tiny the flowers are. Any avocados set by pollination now will not be picked till November/ December or even later next year ( 2018 ) so a very long time.( a year or slightly more )  I suspect such a tiny flower takes that long to become such a nutritious fruit.

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 The plum tree has already flowered and set a few fruit. My broad beans are producing some yummy beans . The blue glass really sets the lime green colour off a treat. The top of the plants are still being visited by bees so beans for a while yet.

 Probably the most visited flowers on the property at the moment are the 2 huge oak trees. I can stand under them and hear the Hummmmmmm.

 They of course only produce acorns .