As autumn settles in, a beautiful symbiosis unfolds in our Scottish tea garden: our honey bees gather nectar from the delicate white blossoms of the tea plants, just as captured in the image above. These blossoms are not only lovely, but they are essential to the next stage of our tea garden’s life cycle.
Tea flowers are quite special—fragile white petals surround a vivid cluster of yellow stamens, rich in pollen. These blossoms appear before the colder months arrive, attracting bees with their enticing nectar. While foraging, the bees collect this nectar to bring back to their hives, where they will produce honey. In return, they pollinate the tea flowers, helping them develop into seeds. These seeds will become the next generation of tea plants.
Pollination is a key part of the process, ensuring that the flowers can produce seeds, which we then cultivate and nurture into future tea bushes. This natural cycle, enhanced by our bees’ diligent work, supports our efforts to grow more tea in the coming year. As we increase production, we stay connected to the natural rhythms of our garden, where biodiversity and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do.
Without these busy bees, the continuation of this process would be more difficult. They are an integral part of the harmony in our tea garden, ensuring not only honey production but also the sustainable future of our single-estate tea.
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