The bees have been busy and so have we. Gerard Van Duinen of La Tabú (The Hague) graciously let us use his Tango music.
Posts Tagged ‘Phacelia’
Bees, Flowers, and Tango
Posted in Bee Video, Bee-loving flowers, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Crab spider, Macro bee video, Music video, Warre Hive, Wasps, tagged African Blue Basil, Bee Speckled dahlia, Bees in squash blossom, Bees on hypericum, Bees on Walker's Low, Bombus vosnesenskii, California Poppy pollination, crab spider, Gazania, Gerard Van Duinen, German Wasp, Greenworks garden cultivator, Honeycomb, La Tabú, Methley Plums, Mignon dahlia, Nepeta, Phacelia, Pole beans, Red Poppy bee, Salvia Nemarosa, Swallowtail butterfly, Verbascum, Vespula Germanica, Warré Bee hive, Winter lettuce on August 27, 2016| 7 Comments »
Bee-Loving Flowers in Mid Summer
Posted in Bee to Flower relationship, Bee Video, Bee-loving flowers, Bumblebees, Crab spider, Macro bee video, tagged African Blue Basil, Backyard gardening, Bee Beard Log Hive, bee-loving flowers, Bees and St. John's Wort, bees on Oregon Coast, bombus Vosnesenkii, Bombus vosnesenskii, Carved log hive, crab spider, dahlia, echium, echium pininana, Grand Kids Log Hive, Hypearls St. John's Wort, iPhone 6 video, Leaf Cutter bees, Lobelia, Nepeta, Phacelia, Tower of Jewels, Walker's Low on July 30, 2015| 9 Comments »
I could have shot a bunch of stills of these bees pollinating flowers, but the video together with the music conveys so much more.
I hope you especially enjoy the leaf cutter bees demonstrating their petal cutting abilities and the crab spider attacking the honeybee…and missing! Hooray!
I shot some more video today (August 7) to show that the bees are still going strong on the African Blue Basil in August. It’s good to have something for them after the main nectar flow of blackberries. Jeff Kerker says that the African Blue Basil will produce flowers all summer.
Late Summer Blossoms
Posted in Bee to Flower relationship, Bee Video, Bee-loving flowers, Log hives, Natural Beekeeping, tagged Autumn Joy sedum, bees and borage, bees and Phacelia, bees and Sedum, Ctenucha multifaria, leaf cutter, Megachile centuncularis, Mock Orange tree and bees, Phacelia, sunflowers on September 4, 2014| 8 Comments »
As soon as the main nectar flow quit (blackberries), the bees started working the Phacelia. It was then that I noticed the blue pollen.
I can see why they preferred blackberries…these blossoms are hard to work.
A bee works the borage in late July. A second batch of borage has reseeded itself and will hopefully bloom during autumn.
August 22, 2014…I finally visited Barbara’s Mock Orange tree. It was everything she said it was. Covered in white blossoms with bees all over it. Note: this might NOT be a Mock Orange. See below what Carol Quish of University of Connecticut had to say.
Two bees on Barbara’s Eucryphia Tree
August 29, 2014…When I think of summer, this is what I picture. SUNFLOWERS. Last year we had precious few. This year we grew a few more for the bees. It was hard to stay in the shop during the blue sky, bee-flying, sunny days.
September 1…I’m soooo glad I planted these Autumn Joy sedums a couple of years ago. The bees get nectar from it from late August through September. How many bees do you see? It’s easier to count them in the video.
When we first got the notion to buy these Autumn Joy sedums, it was mid September, 2012. My wife was unloading the potted plants and the bees found them as she was carrying them out to the garden. If you have some space, plant some right away. Your bees will thank you. 🙂
A Ctenucha Multifaria partakes of the nectar too.
Early Summer Bee-loving Flowers
Posted in Bee to Flower relationship, Bee Video, Bee-loving flowers, Bumblebees, Garden spider, Music video, Natural Beekeeping, Poached Egg Meadowfoam, tagged Allium, Antique Cosmos, Bees and Hidcote Hypericum, Bees and St. John's Wort, Bees and Twister poppy, Bees on Hypearls, Bombus vosnesenskii, California poppies, honeybees pollinating flowers, Kiera O'Hara, Phacelia, Royal Candles, Speedwell, The Bottom Rung, Veronica longifolia, Veronica spicata on July 12, 2014| 3 Comments »
June 29, 2014…Honeybees and hummingbirds get nectar from these little gems. We’ve decided to grow more alliums next year because the bees love them and the deer don’t.
June 23, 2014…We started these Cosmos seeds under lights in the house, hoping they would turn out well. We’re very happy with the results and the bees love them too.
June 10, 2014…Honeybee getting nectar on this Cosmos
June 16, 2014…This little stand of California poppies planted itself on my Hugelkulture bed. In the background you can see some wallflowers (Erysimum).
l
What kind of bee is this? Maybe Amelia or standingoutinmyfield will know.
A new type of poppy, called a Twister poppy. Attracts bumblebees and is a pay grade or two above the California poppy.
I started the Phacellia seeds to attract the honeybees, but rarely do I see honeybees on them. No problem, we need to help the bumblebee as well, in this case the Yellow-faced bumblebee. (bombus Vosnosenkii)
Relatively short-lived, (blossom wise) this Veronica Longifolia, ‘Pink Eveline’ served as a nectar source for a short time.
Speedwell, Veronica Spicata, ‘Royal Candles.’ The colors stand out well.
June 29, 2014…Sometimes when the bumblebee exits this blossom, it will pick up a streak of white pollen up it’s back.
Piano composition by Kiera O’Hara.
Music by “The Bottom Rung”
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 