Food for bees after the cutting of the lavatera

Honey bee in a nasturtium blossom

This weekend we cut the lavatera tree down to the nubs to save it from the rust virus that had spread throughout the entire tree. I felt very badly for the bees because they are always feeding from the nectar of the lavatera blossoms, and collecting pollen in the process. The blossoms still looked healthy, while the leaves were covered with the rust virus.

Fortunately we have other food sources for the bees.

The nasturtiums are now producing blossoms, and I bees are getting nectar there (see image above).

There are still a lot of borage plants in the garden, laden with blossoms.

See the honey bee approaching a borage blossom in the image above.

And here the same honey bee is getting nectar from another borage blossom.

And I was very excited to see this bumble bee.. I am still trying to identify the name of these plants, that have decided to spread alongside the driveway.

And here is our poor naked lavatera.

Hopefully it will spring quickly back to its full and luscious self again.