Notice the sealed hole - it's the second one down on the left.The female bees lay their eggs in the holes and then seal them up with mud plugs. In the spring, the new bees will dig their way out and begin their task of pollinating plants.
The bees look very much like a common housefly and are not in the least agressive.
More information about these fascinating bees can be found on the website below:http://osmia.com
It was a beautiful afternoon, and the boys were happy to join me in the garden. They, however, were more interested in the jumping grasshoppers and the chipmunks chirping in the shrubs.
Sluggo was obviously entertained by something as he focused intently for quite some time.
My huge Ruby Spider daylily has just begun blooming. Again, this year, it's blooming about a week or more earlier than in years past. I hope this doesn't portend yet another cold, snowy winter!
The dahlias have begun blooming, as well. I thought I had overwintered all of them, but it seems only the pink ones came back.
This coreopsis "Zagreb" was a pass along from one of my dear neighbors.
The "Jackmanii" clematis is blooming and I see buds on the "New Dawn" climbing rose that is winding it's way through the clematis. It should be a pretty combination!
Down in the shady part of the garden, the Ligularia is blooming a beautiful yellow, and when the dark purple Monkshood begins, they too, will make a nice combination with the silvery lambs ears encircling their feet.
And finally, here's a shot of the new hosta bed and the impatiens, astilbe, catmint and cranesbill on the other side of the rock walk. If you recall, this is the where we dug and found the cleanout to the septic tank earlier this spring. The big pot of geraniums is sitting right on top of the cleanout.
And today, it rains yet again. If this keeps up, we should have a very colorful autumn (providing of course, if the sun comes out in October!) One can only hope that Mother Nature will bless us.
Life is Good!
Hugs, Giddy
Sluggo was obviously entertained by something as he focused intently for quite some time.
My huge Ruby Spider daylily has just begun blooming. Again, this year, it's blooming about a week or more earlier than in years past. I hope this doesn't portend yet another cold, snowy winter!
The dahlias have begun blooming, as well. I thought I had overwintered all of them, but it seems only the pink ones came back.
This coreopsis "Zagreb" was a pass along from one of my dear neighbors.
The "Jackmanii" clematis is blooming and I see buds on the "New Dawn" climbing rose that is winding it's way through the clematis. It should be a pretty combination!
Down in the shady part of the garden, the Ligularia is blooming a beautiful yellow, and when the dark purple Monkshood begins, they too, will make a nice combination with the silvery lambs ears encircling their feet.
And finally, here's a shot of the new hosta bed and the impatiens, astilbe, catmint and cranesbill on the other side of the rock walk. If you recall, this is the where we dug and found the cleanout to the septic tank earlier this spring. The big pot of geraniums is sitting right on top of the cleanout.
And today, it rains yet again. If this keeps up, we should have a very colorful autumn (providing of course, if the sun comes out in October!) One can only hope that Mother Nature will bless us.Life is Good!
Hugs, Giddy
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7 comments:
Your cats are adorable and I see they love to investigate the garden. That is an interesting bee house. It will be interesting to see if you get more occupants.
Giddy ! Your garden is looking fabulous and I also had that thought ... that all this rain would surely make the Autumn leaves look stunning .. IF .. the sun comes out is RIGHT !
The boys look handsome .. Sophie is having a battle with her weight.. her doctor thinks she should lose a little and exercise more .. Emma teases her about it all the time .. I think it is easier having "boys" than girls ?LOL ...
I love the BOB house .. I haven't seen one before !
Bears! You have bears there? I have never seen a live on in Maine. But I do know that they bother other people's bird feeders. We had a ton of hummers for about a month, but they have tapered off. Late Augusta, we get them again, on their way south.
My neighbor just put a hive of bees in his backyard last week. So far, they haven't come out. I've been wondering if I would see them in my garden.
It looks like it is getting ready to storm here, so I guess I need to wind up my daily blogging. Did you get that storm early this morning?
I love the ligularia. It's nice and big. I bet it loves this rainy season. I have been nurturing one along for a few years, but it never gets big because it never gets enough water. Last fall I dug it out and put it in a pot and sunk it back in the ground. I've been watering it faithfully and it's doing better this year. I have hope for a bloom sometime soon.
How neat that the bees took up residence already. That house is a fun addition to your garden.
Your summer sounds busy, Giddy. Like you, I've been reading, but not had time to comment much. Usually these nights my head is nodding and I'm struggling to stay awake as I read :)
Loved your photos of the beautiful gardens back in June.
We've had critters to contend with too...raccoons, woodchucks, a gray fox and deer. They keep us on our toes! There were 2 young black bears sighted 5 minutes down the road too. I hope they don't come visiting us!
The boys look happy to be outside :)
Love those cute little bob houses. You and H are very creative.
Nemesia is such a great flower.
The blue lobelia is pretty with the yellow. Do you have good luck keeping the lobelia alive?
The amaryllis make a lovely bright splash.
Your garden is looking beautiful, Ms. Giddy! And those peas and carrots look delicious.
We're having yet another rainy day here. Bah humbug. But yesterday was gloriously sunny.
Yes, life is good (despite the slugs!) :)
Crafty, as of today, two of the "condos" are occupied. So far, the bees seem to like the green house rather than the other colors.
Joy, the boys send their greetings to the girls! Perhaps Sophie and Spike could exercise together. He too, is a bit pudgy.
Sandy, we had a bear raid our feeder several years ago, so I quit putting out the seeds in June.
We did get that storm you sent up our way! "-) Our hummers stick around all summer long and head back south around early to mid September.
Zoey, my Ligularia is in a relatively shady part of the garden and has done nicely for me for the last 5 years.
Kerri, my luck with Lobelia is checkered. Some years it does well, and others not. I find if I cut it back and feed it with lots of Miracle Gro, it does fairly well.
I love those kitties of yours too.
My kitty must be on a leash too . . to safe guard, yes.
It is always a pleasure for me when i visit your garden blog.
~Becky
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