First the buds, then the blossoms, then the bees.
The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre, bee-friendly garden planted in the fall of 2009 next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis, is, in one word—spectacular.
The strawberries planted in the haven are in various stages of growth: buds, blossoms, immature fruit and now ripe fruit.
The bees did it.
It's a good time to view the garden, which is open from dawn to dusk every day. There's no admission charge.
You'll see art work; assorted fruits, vegetables and herbs; ornamental plants; and insects! The garden provides the Laidlaw honey bees with a year-around food source, raises public awareness about the plight of honey bees, encourages visitors to plant bee-friendly gardens of their own, and serves as a research site.
Attached Images:
Honey bee foraging on strawberry plant in Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
End result: ripe strawberries. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)