village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Garden, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); buckwheat (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Garden?
- First forage: Apr 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 30, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Garden, 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 31.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clover/Wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, buckwheat, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clover/Wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Alfalfa: about 500 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late May – late Oct (grown 4 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
Mostly: Open water; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Mesic Balsam Fir-Spruce Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.02 mi W.
How Garden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 41st | 83rd | 100th |
| Michigan | 69th | 17th | 70th | 99th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 98th | 10th | 98th | 100th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Garden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Manistique 20 mi · Rapid River 23 mi · Gladstone 23 mi · Escanaba 25 mi · Rock 36 mi · Chatham 44 mi
All towns in Michigan · 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 (45.7693, -86.5573); 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.