Not just Honey Bees in the garden

Honey Bee on Echinacea

August 7, 2011

A thunder storm with the sun shining through it has just started so it's a good time to write a new post for you.  There must be a spectacular rainbow somewhere close by.  This post will just be a picture gallery of what is going on in my garden...not just Bees!

Update on the bees...I just bought a honey extractor on-line.  So the adventure of stickiness will be coming to a theatre near you.  I will madly bone up on how this all works and then let you know all about it.  I am estimating about 80 pounds of honey will be available to extract.  An exciting and a bit frightening prospect.  My nearest and dearest can expect bottles of honey for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries etc. etc. etc.  The bees don't know that all their hard work will be going into my new extractor very soon.

What is blooming in the garden?  Echinacea, phlox, black eyed Susans, butterfly bush, hosta, day lilies, cosmos (orange and pink), monarda (bee balm is its other name but you already know that it is shunned by the honey bees), rose of Sharon, canna lilies, dahlias, goose neck loosestrife and rudbeckia of every sort.

Wherever we walk, we disturb the many grasshoppers who have taken up residence.  It's been so dry, they are everywhere.  Margot, the cat loves chasing them...especially the ones that can fly!

The following are pictures of what comes around to check out the flowers.  Here are a few of the beautiful butterflies that come into the garden.  I have been chasing a gorgeous yellow swallowtail for a photograph but it doesn't seem to want to stop for a photo op.  Also various bees and wasps busy pollinating.

Cabbage butterfly

Red-spotted Purple Swallowtail on Echinacea--inside colours

Red-spotted Purple Swallowtail--outside colours

Snout nosed butterfly on butterfly bush--outside colours

Bumble bee on Rudbeckia

Snout nosed butterfly--inside colours (a bit)

Yellow jacket wasp on Queen Anne's lace

Monster bumble bee on phlox