Existing Crops
The LFSOG grows a wide variety of crops on approximately 800 square meters. Some crops grown currently provide bee forage, including several herbs, squashes and Brassicas if allowed to flower. Additionally, a variety of flowers are grown for the sole purpose of providing food sources to the honeybees. A list of flowers grown during the 2011 season can be found in the chart below:
|
Flower |
Bloom Period |
| Ageratum sp (Blue mink) | summer to early fall |
| Ammi majus (False Queen Anne’s lace) | spring until summer |
| Didiscus sp (Lacy mix) | early summer until autumn |
| Clarkia sp (Godetia pinks) | spring to summer |
| Helichrisum sp (Dwarf bouquet) | spring to summer |
| Heliotropium arborescense (Marine heliotrope) | summer to autumn |
| Iberis (dwarf blend) | spring to summer |
| Limonium sinuatum (statis) | spring to summer |
| Phacelia tanacetifolia (Phacelia) | spring to summer |
| Trifolium incarnatum (Crimson Clover) | early spring to end of summer |
| Black eyed Susan | mid summer to fall |
| Lemon Balm | June to October |
| Heather | late summer- fall |
| Yarrow | summer |
| Bee Balm | summer |
| Coneflower | summer |
| Hibiscus | summer |
| Chamomile | spring to summer |
| Rosemary | spring |
| Huckle Berry | april to june |
Climate
The pacific maritime climate limits the colony’s ability to forage throughout the cold and rainy winter months; however, this has not proved to be a detrimental factor. The existing honey bee hive successfully survived its first winter in 2011-2012 and continues to thrive.
Pollinators
Native pollinators present in the LFSOG agroecosystem likely include wasps, flies, moths, beetles, and most importantly, bees. The area is an attractive ecosystem for pollinators in the midst of the busy UBC campus and in the 2011 growing season, native pollinators appeared to be abundant in the garden (Leanna Killoran, personal communication, 2012).
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