Happy February, friends! This is the time of year when fruit and nut orchards ‘round here are starting to show off their blossoms, and we’re talking about a big show! Right now, we’re starting to see showy pinky-white blossoms over hundreds of square miles of trees. This means that springtime is coming to California’s Central Valley! When the trees start to blossom, billions of tiny buds begin to swell, giving way to incredible beauty as each variety, in their own time, transforms from magnificent flowers to incredible fruits and nuts. It’s a special, brief time that only lasts through March and we treasure every moment of it.
If you drive or ride your bike down the country roads in this part of California, you probably notice that the blossoms on the trees have a variety of colors and they bloom at different times. What are they? Almonds? Plums? Cherries? Peaches? Something else? You’ve got this, friends, ‘cause we developed this Blossoms Calendar to help you identify which trees are in bloom and when. You’ve got an inquiring mind and we’re here to help you be a fruit blossom aficionado who will dazzle your family, friends and out of town visitors with your knowledge.
When those majestic trees bloom, it’s also time for busy honey bees to do their pollination work. Right now, they are busy pollinating our local Almond trees and are then heading over to pollinate the Cherry orchards, which will soon be transformed into billowy trees laden with showy pink blossoms. They collect nectar from flowers and move pollen from one flower to the next. By doing this, they help boost the amount of flowers that over time become the fruits and nuts that you enjoy. When their day is done, they return to their bee boxes and make honey.
Honey bees are more interested in pollinating trees and making honey than stinging you, so if you find yourself around honey bees and one lands on you, just softly swoosh your hand and it’ll be on its way without any drama. When you stay calm, you’re actually saving precious lives ‘cause when a bee stings its life comes to an end! Save lives. Eat beautiful fruits, nuts and honey and feel good about it all!
To help protect these productive little creatures, our organic fruits are grown using practices and materials that are friendly to humans, bees and our environment. We also grow plants in our orchards that are beneficial to good insects AND bees by creating a favorable habitat for living, foraging and pollinating. We carefully select grower-partners who share our passion for maintaining a food system that’s environmentally sustainable, socially just and enhances your experience when you enjoy our products.
If this new (or renewed) information is making you hungry, then great! We’re celebrating the beginning upcoming pollination of our local Cherry orchards by offering our Certified Organic Dried Cherries for 20 percent off, or just $15.19 per pound from now through the end of February. Stock up to celebrate Washington’s birthday, to sweeten your breakfast or dinner dishes or just to get down to some honest snacking!
If you find yourself in our area – and we hope you do - be sure to keep our Blossoms Calendar handy as you view the splendor from the roadside. Make a day out of it and include a stop by our country store to do some healthful shopping and noshing! If you live further away, you can celebrate the start of the blooming season by shopping online for all of Bella Viva Orchards’ products. So equip yourself with knowledge, keep that calendar at hand, take a breath of fresh February air and look forward to a bountiful, healthful season!
Oh, and get yourself a good supply of our amazing Certified Dried Cherries!
