The persimmon tree was a fairly new purchase last year so i had never seen it flower. I had not dared to think past hoping it survived the winter. But survive it did. Even though my new mulberry did not make it, the persimmon did. I realized i needed to purchase a “trader’s mulberry tree” next year as it is more suited to the soil and this climate. However, the persimmon came out of winter just fine. To my surprise, not only did it produce leaves, but also flowers! They looked like something you’d see in the background of a disney or pixar movie about elves or trolls. i was fascinated and waited to see what the open flowers would look like. Unfortunately, they will not be making persimmons as the neighbor who had the 12 bee boxes that sent hundreds of bees to our yard to harass the dogs and chickens (and pollinate everything), well he had end stage cancer and expressed that he used the land for bee keeping and didnt actually live on it last time i spoke with him. He said it was his aim to sell it before he died so his wife wouldnt have to deal with the bees and the property. The land must have finally sold because i no longer see the little plastic sign up and the bees are gone. Not a bee in sight. Boy, you dont realize how much you took something for granted until it is gone. I wonder if i will ever become a bee keeper. I mean, it’d be a bad idea. Im allergic to them. But, with his bees gone, theres nothing left to harass the dogs, chickens, or pollinate anything, not even the honeysuckle. I could plant something like wisteria or carolina jasmine and hope that draws the bees that belong to the goat farmer that lives 7 minutes down the road. He has two bee boxes with cactus on top. Or i could eventually get my own bee boxes. It would probably be more work than id have time for and the chances of dire consequences with my allergies are high. Epi pens have a quick expiration date and a high cost. They’re not super available to those without health insurance. For now, ive just accepted there will be no mulberries, pomegranates, or persimmons this year. It was sad. The mulberry tree flowered as it always does. However, no bees, and in result, no berries. I’ll figure a solution next year. Maybe wisteria.
Maybe wild bees will be enough.
I fear there arent any nearby but i do know of one more neighbor with bee boxes and im hoping if i plant enough flowering things i can entice them this way. They’re quite far up the road, almost to the cemetery in town. The property has always been alive with bees because of our proximity to those 12 boxes but now even friends that come twice a year have remarked to me how quiet it is without the buzzing and asked where all the bees went. Its very different. I enjoy not being chased but i feel uneasy at their absence as pretty much everything plant-like relies on them in some way for pollination. :/