>My brother Robert (who is also on the list) knows someone who has a herb
>farm and we may be able to put some hives there...Anyone know if any herbs
>are reasonable nectar producers?  I checked "The Hive and the Honey Bee"
>but all I could see was Sage which may or may not be the herb....
 
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) grows wild in parts of New Zealand's central South
Island and produces a crop of good quality thyme honey each Spring.  The
honey is dark (around 100mm) and *very* stong with a long lasting after taste.
 
One story goes that the plant was introduced by Chinese gold miners last
century.  It has now spread to cover thousands of hectares.  As in most
cases of nectar production, it requires relatively large areas of any one
plant to produce a monofloral honey type.
Peter Bray,
Airborne Honey Ltd., PO Box 28, Leeston, New Zealand
Fax 64-3-324-3236,  Phone 64-3-324-3569  [log in to unmask]
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