In central, upstate New York (north of Albany, south of Saratoga)
it's been a honey flow beekeepers dream of!  The entire summer has been
sunny and warm with rains coming often enough that I have not had to
water my garden even once.  There was an abundant and extended clover
flow, basswoods bloomed nicely but were cut short by rains, wildflowers
are abundant and everywhere, and the blue loofstrife(sp?) continues to
invade the area wetlands.  This invasion is a real disaster for the
local flora and fauna, as the loofstrife is taking over the areas where
cattails grow and the animals that rely on the cattails for food are
suffering.  However, from a beekeepers point of view, the loofstrife has
filled in a period where there was a dearth in the flow, and provides a
bridge from the summer flow to the fall flow.  The fall flow shows
promise for copious amounts of goldenrod and asters and I anticipate
harvesting an average of at least 150 lbs per hive!  For an area that
is less rural all the time (developement marches on) this season has
been as good as it gets!
 
Apologies for no Latin names for the above plants, but I don't do
Latin. ;)
 
Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!