town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Garden City, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 3.0 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Garden City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 30 (garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Garden City, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 1,263 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Garden City
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.84 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 95% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Garden City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 72nd | 73rd | 77th |
| Colorado | 95th | 99th | 76th | 56th |
| High Plains | 92nd | 95th | 71st | 74th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Garden City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
La Salle 3 mi · Evans 4 mi · Greeley 4 mi · Kersey 6 mi · Gilcrest 9 mi · Eaton 9 mi
All towns in Colorado · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Garden City (40.3946, -104.6895); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.