When out walking, look along the path for honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) flowers. These white and yellow flowers are hard to miss since they are usually found in large clumps with dozens of blossoms. Their scent is so strong, that you may smell these fragrant flowers before you even see them, especially in the evening. Yet while it is worth taking some time to smell the blossoms, it is even more fun to enjoy their taste.
To do this, pluck a flower from the vine being sure to get the green part at the base of the long trumpet-shaped blossom Then, gently pinch the flower right above the greenish base using just enough pressure to break through the tube, but not so much that you break the flower in two. Next, lightly pull on the green base until something that looks like a white string appears. Keep pulling, and soon you will see a drop of nectar appear at the end of the tube. Now bring that droplet to your lips and taste its sweetness. This is something that any children you have with you will want to do over and over, and it’s an activity that they will remember for many summers to come.
Be on the lookout for Ruby-throated hummingbirds while you are in the presence of honeysuckle. These tiny birds also enjoy the sweet nectar and are always fun to watch as they hover before a blossom with their little wings beating at an amazing speed of around 50 times per second.
