Summer Honey ..

A small selection of the honey I collected last week from one half-depth super - it is very sweet and incredibly tasty, I use honey now for any sweetner - wonderful in stirfries, baking, over ice cream - anything really.

It has been a fantastic year for honey, every plant seemed to flower early and strong, my bees are out every day with the hot summer weather - just hope it rains soon ..

Here is a picture of all the jars full of Ora honey, ( Ora being Maori for `pure`) , my small collection of honey pots, all except one, have been given to me !

I have 2 supers to extract in the coming days, they are very full and heavy !! Once I have my label printed I will take some of the jars to the local market. I give jars away to family and friends but will still have far to much to keep in the cupboard.

Summer Days ...

Phormium tenax or Flax, full of nectar for the birds, much loved by the Tui and Bellbird who come away from these plants with a dusting of yellow or orange pollen on their heads. Maori believe that if the Harakeke (flax) flower early we are in for a long, hot summer and it sure looks that way this year with the tall spires of flax flowers swaying in the breeze, at times covered with nectar seeking creatures, especially the tiny wax-eyes

A glimpse through the Golden Elms with their beautiful crisp yellow/green foliage, through to the Roses here at the Hamilton Gardens, the Horse Chestnuts are flowering in the background. It is just starting to get hot here now, up to 25 degrees some days.

My little families precious Christmas gift, Elliott Thomas, with his Mum, Pip - he is truely a darling - Nana will be buying him his first bee t-shirt soon ..

The Pohutukawa flower which always means Christmas and long hot summer days here in New Zealand, is flowering now along the coastline - a truely iconic kiwi symbol and the bees love it !

I don`t think there would be a New Zealander alive that doesnt think of this tree and long,hot days - blue, clear skies, the ocean, golden sandy beaches,( or if you live on the west coast), black sandy beaches and endless summers. No where in NZ is that far from the sea, lakes or a river.