Bees in Venice

[o.stjohn]

http://judiharvest.com/press-release-honeybees-and-murano-endangered-venice-summer-2013

 

[Al-In-Italy]

...During March 2013, Judi Harvest created a bee-friendly garden in the 250-square-meter field, designing an environment of 30 fruit trees and 500 fragrant, flowering plants that will be home to four fully functioning hives. The first honey from Murano will be harvested during the summer. The plantings and hives will remain in place to be cared for by local gardeners and beekeepers, who will regularly gather the honey...

I wonder if those hives have thrived or even survived?

I've been to Venice several times and I think it's an amazing place, but it also seems to me hard to imagine a less "bee friendly" city. In most urban areas, there are parks and derelict ground to provide forage, but the open spaces in Venice are paved piazze. There is some agriculture and uncultivated land on islands in the lagoon, but Google Earth indicates that the nearest to Murano is about 3km away over water.

I suppose the idea that 30 fruit trees and 500 flowers are enough to sustain four hives comes from some cartoonish idea of bees guzzling litres of nectar from a single bloom.

But it's part of a grand artistic vision, so I suppose such considerations are irrelevant.

 

[pargyle]

I wonder if those hives have thrived or even survived?

I've been to Venice several times and I think it's an amazing place, but it also seems to me hard to imagine a less "bee friendly" city. ...:

Yes, I've been there and wondered what chance they had as well ... I thought, from the headline on the article, that they were going to tell us that they had succumbed to something ... but nothing in there except for marketing guff ... unless I missed something !

 

[Dishmop]

I've seen roundabouts that are more bee friendly than that bit of garden.

 

[REDWOOD]

Absolutely amazing artists

 

[alldigging]

"Honey Garden is currently active and has produced more than 60 pounds of honey in August."

http://www.lafolla.it/lf131ambientali.php

 

[pargyle]

"Honey Garden is currently active and has produced more than 60 pounds of honey in August."

http://www.lafolla.it/lf131ambientali.php

Amazing .... I just hope it is honey from nectar and not sugar from the thousands of cafes !!

 

[Heather]

Didn't see more than blades of grass when I went... Oh, and people ++... bricks and water - was sad to see how derelict buildings were..bees will be very restricted.
But masked ball spectacular, although less romantic than depicted in travel blurb .

 

[Luminos]

When I went, it was February and all snowy

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

went there this year (the day that Wales stuffed England - again!) glad we wekt to say we'd been - I like Italy but would have prefered to go to Florence or Rome again, but SWMBO wanted to go and her verdict - Italian Blackpool.
Not much i could se to sustain an apiary

 

[peteinwilts]

the Garden closes on Thursday.... I arrive in Venice on Friday

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

don't forget your wellies!

 

[Dishmop]

the Garden closes on Thursday.... I arrive in Venice on Friday

You shouldnt have told them you were coming.

 

[Erichalfbee]

the Garden closes on Thursday.... I arrive in Venice on Friday

Huh!!!
A bit like my luck; get back from Sicily and Etna starts erupting with a really good show a few days later