Goldenrod for a lazy bee

We went out for dim sum today, and I feel as lazy as a bee hanging on the goldenrod with a faceful of flower. This is a Carpenter bee, and you know it’s a male because of the light spot on his face. He was so sleepy, I could move the goldenrod to an easier […]

Ad astera per apis

The asters in flower are framing the hill, in a swath of lilac cloud flowing across the top and sides. All of September, the honeybees were swooning over the sedum, and the bumbles had the asters to themselves. I’ve been trying to get a good picture of a bumble for a month now, but they […]

Sedum Autumn Joy, Full of Bees

“Autumn Joy” pink sedum is one of the easiest ways to feed your bees. It’s one of those plants that you only have to plant once. Just pick a sunny spot and it will thrive. And every autumn, it will put up pink balls of flowers. If there are any honeybees around, they will find […]

Return of the Wool Carder bee

Another bee that I’ve been looking for has turned up: the Wool Carder bee. They’re called Wool Carders because the females gather the fuzz from hairy leaves to line their nests. Like the honeybee, they’re not natives, but an introduced bee from Europe. Unlike the honeybee, they tend to stick to Old World flowers. Mine […]

Black Bees in the Squash Blossoms

I made sure to plant squash for the squash bees. Instead of squash bees, I found another bee I’ve been looking for.

Buzzapalooza on the goldenrod

While I’ve been reading, all sorts of bees have been busy buzzing at the Goldenrod Buzzapalooza.

Black-Eye Susan

The Black-Eye Susan that is not a sunflower is back. And the bees have found it. This is Halictus ligatus, another bee that I see fairly often, tiny bees bearing great saddlebags of pollen on their legs. Bugguide tells me he’s a male. If you look closely, you can see that he’s brushing his antennae. […]

The crowd on the bee and butterfly bush

The butterfly bush is surrounded by the darting shadows of bees against the all-too-clear blue sky. Amid the heat wave, this and the coneflowers are the main source of nectar around here. The powdery lavender scent is drawing an amazing variety of bees and such. Last year, the butterfly bush was the domain of the […]

The bees have arrived on the coneflowers

The full trinity of bees have found the coneflowers. Bumblebees, honeybees, and Agapostemon Virescens. Let’s call her Aggie.

Bees and Onions

This is what happens when you let an onion get away with being an onion. It was sprouting and I let it sprout. Then I planted it in the ground, and it was growing and I let it grow. Finally, it sent up a flower shoot and I let it flower.