blockhill - forest garden experience & education
North Canterbury
Blue lupin
Details
Grows well in most locations where it improves soil with organic matter and nitrogen. Bees enjoy the flowers.
Practical Plants
Plants for a future
Common name
Blue lupin
Botanical name
Lupinus angustifolius
Family
Leguminosae
Height (m)
1
Forest layer
herbaceous
Nitrogen fixer
Propagation method
Sow direct
Flowers
Blue
The bees are back
This year we have seen an impressive rebound in bee numbers. It is unlikely due to anything we have done but it is wonderful to see them working frantically on all the things we have planted in the last couple of years. So we are helping them in some way.
January 13, 2013
It started with a few bees buzzing around the corner of the house and quickly turned into several thousand.
Hoping to prevent their entry into the roof cavity I blocked up the small hole they had discovered and tried to forget about it. They wouldn't give up.
November 19, 2010
The bees and the bees
With the invasion of the varroa bee mite there has been a reduction in the number of nearby hives (both wild and domestic).
I was surprised and relieved to witness a large number of bumble and honey bees servicing the apricot tree.
This photos shows one of the more wild bees. Notice the dark colouring, where 'normal' bees are orange an black striped.
September 05, 2011
Melting Beeswax
I hate to see anything go to waste so with the fire going to heat the bath I remembered the deserted beehive with the exposed comb.
Crushed up and sitting in an iron pot near the fire it slowly melts down. Once I have skimmed off the impurities perhaps I can make a candle...
November 11, 2011
Common name
Blue tansy or purple tansy
Botanical name
Phacelia
Details
Quick and easy to grow, this fantastic bee plant can get up to a meter tall, covered in purple flowers. As it produces a large amount of plant matter it is also useful as green manure or mulch. Produces plenty of seed for next season.
Price
$3.90
100 seeds
Forest layer
herbaceous
Phacelia
Details
Quick growing manure crop or as a sanctuary for predator insects to feed and plan their assaults from. Dig or plough in anytime. Sow from September through to April at a rate of 30g per 10m2 or 1kg per 300m2.
Common name
Phacelia
Botanical name
Phacelia tanacetifolia
Height (m)
1
Forest layer
herbaceous
Date
July 08, 2013
Propagation method
Sow direct
Shade / Sun
Full sun
Soil type
Most
Flowers
Purple