We’ll probably label our honey something like Wildflower Honey to indicate that we are not located in the middle of 3-5 acres of delicious white clover. But in the spirit of clarifying what it takes here in Bellevue, WA to make our honey, I’ve collected some more details to share.
Over the last five years, we have optimized our gardens with morsels that are interesting to honey bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Note: we have many other plants, but those listed below seem to be the favorites.
Video April thru September 2018
Guest appearances (in order of appearance)
Our 2018 Honey Bees
Honey Bees Love Our Flowers
- Butterfly Bush: Buddleia (Royal Red)
- Caroline raspberry late summer blossoms
- Candytuft (first to bloom in the spring)
- Chamomile (Manzanilla)
- Marionberry flowers
- Thyme (early bloomer, and lasts throughout the summer)
- White clover
- Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas)
- Raspberries – early summer fruit
- Lonicera Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle vine
- Marionberry fruit
- White clover
- Hydrangea
- Heuchera Dolce Blackberry Ice & Rave On
- White clover
- Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas)
- Mustard greens
- Elephant garlic
- Sweet mint
- Butterfly Bush: Buddleia (Bicolor)
- Sunflowers (Evening Sun, Ring of Fire, Autumn Beauty, Solar Eclipse)
- California Poppy
- Caroline raspberry early summer fruit
- Cosmos (sensation mix)
Water Sources
- 2018 has been a drought year since May: We installed chick feeders with water throughout the yard
- Raspberries: snagging some juice right off the vine
- Other sources (not pictured): Drip irrigation in our yard, generally hanging out on the lettuces in our garden , Lake Sammamish: 2 miles away
Other popular flowers on our farm (not pictured)
- Fuchsia
- Cherry Bell Radish
- Hops (Mt Hood, Willamette, Centennial)
- Carnation
- Dianthus firewitch
- Crimson clover
- Geranium (Martha Washington)
- Oregano
- Roses
- Phlox (Woodland and subulata)
- Maple
wild sprout 