I need advice on plantings for a bee farm in SW Florida

[jredburn]

I have just received written permission to keep as many bees as I want to on 300+ acres in SW Florida.  The soil is sandy and covered with pasture grass and weeds.  A lot of the area is covered with  palm trees and  Palmetto bushes.
I intend to open a community bee yard where anyone can keep a hive.  I am scheduling classes and field trips for people that are living in residential areas.
I need advise on what to plant so the bees will have pollen and nector all year round.  We don't have much of a winter here in zone 10a.  Once every few years it gets down to freezing at night.
I have a couple of thousand acres of pasture land around the site but no farm land so I need seeds that I can broadcast.  Planting by hand or machine is out of the question.
I know very little about this so any words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated.
It has been suggested to me that I also start a community garden area where people can rent a space and raise a garden in it.  Thoughts and comments on this will also be welcome.
Regards
Joe

[AllenF]

You got a good tractor?    Year round crops would require lots of different plants.   Lot at what blooms near you and plant that.   Let the pastures grow wild and you will get plenty of plants naturally.   

[Maryland Beekeeper]

You should try a Manuka bush. Also tretradium danielli, might be to hot for that
Cheers,
Drew

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Some Florida Native plants that should be beneficial to the environment:
Beach Sunflower, Helianthus debilis
Blanket Flower, Gaillardia pulchella
Calamint, Calamintha georgiana
Frostweed, Verbesina virginica
Giant Ironweed, Vernonia angustifolia
Goldenrod, Salidago fistulosa and Solidago sempervirens
Tropical Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica
Rosinweed, Silphium asteriscus
Sea Ox-Eye Daisy, Borrichia frutescens
Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis
Tickseed, Coreopsis leavenworthii

Also I like the idea of a community garden.

[Joe D]

One thing that most land owners try to get rid of until they have bees is wild or privy hedge, and posion shomake, both are good for honey production.  I have planted appr. 25 acres of crimson clover,back when I had cows.  The bees only get pollen but they work it pretty good, it comes in before the hedge but there are other things that come in even earlier.  Don't know what all will and times for what will grow in your area.  Good luck to you and your bees.



Joe