Winter is drawing in. Although it is still not cold, the days are getting shorter and are frequently grey, wet, windy and dismal. There are few flowers from which the bees can gather nectar and pollen, and they are slowing down into their winter ways. But just as the last few straggling flowers on the pineapple sage are fading, the tagasaste bursts into life, and, along with the gorse, offers a winter feast for my bees.

Today, even though it was drizzling and the outside world was grey, I watched as bumblebees, fantails and a bellbird flittered in the tagasaste outside the sitting room.

How can grey, winter days be drear when the creamy white tagasaste and yellow gorse blossoms shine in the rain to the accompaniment of the bellbird's song?