Live From the Hive: June 2014

"Blackberry Bloom"  by Annie Watson, Thistle Hill StudioOne of my favorite events of the year is the blossoming of the wild blackberries (rubus alligheniensis). You can tell where the plants are from the rich spicy, woody fragrance that the unopened flower buds give off in April and May, heralding the coming of the flowers. It's a scent I look forward to every spring.A blackberry patch in bloom becomes a sea of white that looks like summer snow. Then come the bees to gather nectar and pollen for their young, and in so doing, spread thepollen. The flowers and bees are a promise of the luscious fruit that will ripen about amonth after pollination.Did you know that berries must be pollinated by insects in order to make fruit? If the beesand other pollinators don't fertilize the flowers, the berries will not develop or will developunevenly. For more about pollination go to the Science with me! web site.Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio