Wednesday 27 August 2014

Bee Buffet


It's quite amazing to see the proliferation of bees feasting in our gardens.  I've worked to plant a lot of variety for them paying particular attention to late Summer and early Fall (which can be a time of dearth).  The bees are consequently very busy bringing in these late pollens and honey is being stored in large quantities for the long winter ahead.  




Canada Goldenrod is a favourite of bees and every year, our patch is LOADED with bees from the first flower opening until the blooms fade away...




Catmint has been a surprise!  I would have to say in terms of bee density, this has to be a honey bee's favourite meal.




Monarda (bee balm),




Crego asters,




Clover,




Chives




and good ol' squash blossoms provide popular meals, too.




The most interesting sighting this year?   The ENORMOUS bees which came and feasted for several weeks on the nectar of the delphiniums.  They were over an inch long and were so loud, it was deafening!  Truly, it was comical to see them fly after a good long drink of nectar.... between their VERY large size and the weight of a full load of nectar, they actually struggled to fly away!



What do the bees like at your place?









7 comments:

  1. Bumble Bees! We have them down here, too. We seem to have some honey bees now, as I see them more now than a few years ago. We also see, on occasion, Native Bees. Around here though, wasps are major pollinators. And perhaps b/c I'm not working to encourage any one type of pollinator, I see lots of all kinds. Right now, its the water everyone wants!

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  2. Such lovely pictures! My cat mint is always buzzing with bees, even in winter. We only seem to get the normal variety of bee, but I sure would like some bumbles.

    Cheers - Joolz xx

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  3. They really love our lavender bushes. Most of them are tiny and very friendly, luckily, as my husband is afraid of any flying insect. So when you describe the size of your flying neighbors,… it would be horror for him! Beautiful pictures.

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  4. I was truly surprised at the bees this year in my "new" garden. They don't seem to mind my camera....they just go about their work, ignoring me. Your flowers are exceptional !!

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  5. We seem to have carpenter bees which love certain parts of our fence, but they are also very busy in the garden

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  6. We get a variety of bees here and the cutest are the teddy bear ones. They feast on our native flora we have planted around here. We were only talking today about whether we might get a couple of hives and grow our own honey :)

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  7. Oregano, hyssop, echinachea, mint and some other flowers that I do not know the name of that came in a Wildflower mix bag of heirloom seeds. All pollinators are welcome, but Bumble bees were the biggie.Also, Hummingbird Moths which I love and they love our Butterfly Bush.

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