blockhill - forest garden experience & education

North Canterbury

Friendly kereru regularly visit the orchard

Friendly kereru regularly visit the orchard

Details   Seen sitting here in one of the older plum trees, one of the local wood pidgin helps thin blossoms before flying heavily to the next tree.
Date   September 18, 2014
Tags     kereru  plum  blossoms  orchard  native birds 
Colours of spring

Colours of spring

Details   A lush time of year, when a lot of good growing gets done and the shape of summer is still around the corner.
Date   October 08, 2017
Tags     2017  October  Spring  Blossom 
The bees and the bees

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
Blossoms before the storm

Blossoms before the storm

Spring blossoms on the plum tree before an approaching storm.
August 20, 2010
  Spring  Blossoms 
Monarch butterflies enjoying blossoms in the forest garden

Monarch butterflies enjoying blossoms in the forest garden

Details   We've had plenty of nice, sunny warm weather and the monarch and red admiral butterflies are getting into the stone fruit blossom, brassica flowers and tagasaste nectar.
Date   September 11, 2018
Tags     2018  insects  blossom