Honeybee in borage

As the sun falls further to the south as it crosses the sky in anticipation of the end of summer I suppose I have suddenly become nostalgic, particularly about the bees which live in abundance in my garden from spring through fall. Soon I will miss them so and will be thinking of their return next year. In this quiet reverie I found myself thinking of the path they have fruitfully traced about my garden and determined to make myself a list, and then trace photographically, of the treasures that beckoned and welcomed them in their need to collect pollen for their hives, spinning it into the honey that I treasure more than you can imagine, I’m sure. In assembling this kind of bee map I discovered I can be quite proud of myself, more than I realized, for while I have not systematically “created a bee garden” with the requisite research, I have inadvertently done quite well. Take a gander!

First order of business for bees in early spring is the borage, as pictured above. It grows in abundance. It freely reseeds and I let it. So wherever it wants to grow, it does and the bees are most appreciative.

bee in lavender
Next in line, I believe are the lavenders that grow in the back garden.

lavender

About this time the Dr. Huey roses are blossoming. This is not a favorite of the bees. I don’t find bees nearly as much in love with roses as am I. But they will do.

Dr. Huey roses

Following the emerging of Dr. Huey is the true myrtle, one of my very favorites here, and the bees would certainly agree!

true myrtle

About this time the hollyhocks now are ripening and budding and opening.

pink hollyhock with bumblebee

Concurrent with the hollyhocks is the trumpet vine which was given a free hand long before I arrived here so it is amazing abundance, wending its way through trees, into the rose arbor. I was delighted to catch this bit of action! Look very closely!

Now, wait for it!

Out she pops. 🙂

Midsummer brings the opening of the very old and abundant display of lavender in the front garden. It’s a treat, I assure you! This large old stand is a mass of bees from early in the morning until dusk for over a month. I have to make a point of watering very early so as not to interrupt their diligent work! 🙂 I adore this time when they are there. I like to bend down and put my ears close to them and listen to their lovely buzzy sister song. Heaven! And they never ever mind.

As the lavender is at last spent and moving towards its dormancy the mint and unlikely oregano are now in full blossom. The bees are particularly fond of the oregano! Who knew?

bees at work in the oregano

spearmint

This little bee is exploring a lovely purple morning glory, wet from an early morning watering…

And this morning I discovered that the newly emerged naked ladies are a new favorite with my cherished little creatures!

naked ladies

What remains in bloom will sustain the bees throughout the end of this season. And then their friendly visits will recede, as they set about the work of tending the hive and the queen, preparing for next season.

I hope you have enjoyed the Bee Map of my garden! And I now find myself very curious what path the bees in your garden follow throughout the season! What treasures would the bees find from week to week and month to month in your cherished garden?

Love and honeybee blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Book Notes: Happy to announce that Ode Magazine will be publishing an excerpt from Plant Whatever Brings You Joy in an upcoming issue in both America and Holland (in Dutch!). Also Western North Carolina Woman will be publishing a series of excerpts from the book, largely from my time in Asheville, NC.

If you find this blog of interest I hope you will consider purchasing a copy of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden. Actual books are available at Estrella Catarina. The Kindle version is available in the US, the UK and in Germany in the Kindle store.

Posted on August 15th, 2011 by Kathryn
Filed under: Animals | 9 Comments »

“I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.

~Henry David Thoreau

This story most appropriately is being told the week of Thoreau’s birthday. (He was born July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts.) Somehow I don’t think it’s a stretch to think he would approve.

So, what, you might be thinking, is that blue photo above? It is, my dearest readers, a Pond Skater. Yes, it is. He appeared some three weeks ago in the middle of the doggie wading pool. Normally that pool is being used thusly:

But with the sudden inexplicable and surprise visit of a pond skater, most doggie activity was curtailed, short of Conner’s occasional slurping of cold water, while I stood by making sure he didn’t drink down Mr. Pond Skater.

Honestly, I was completely bewildered how this tiny creature arrived in the middle of a backyard into a wading pool. Utterly flummoxed. I will never understand how that happened. A surveying of the closest body of water, a creek, offered no answers. None. Bone dry. Truly not a drop of water to explain this appearance. Oh, the need is clear. But the deliverance? I never saw one indication this little bug could fly. So?

The Zen of it was here he was. And being wired as Keen Nature Observer/Her Eye is on the Sparrow/Strong Mother Archetype, I felt kind of honored he’d arrived here, and I felt it was the least I could do to learn what I could and see to his well being. Wouldn’t you? Maybe not.

The first big task arose after a few days when I discovered teeny squiggly things in the water. Thinking first they might be a source of food I was relieved, but shortly realized they were mosquito larvae. Yikes. This entailed going out in the early morning, scooping up the Pond Skater into a big bowl, and setting him aside while I emptied the water into the adjacent garden. Nice. I’ve just refreshed the entire wading pool for a bug.

Next challenge was to be sure he had some food. At first I labored over this, thinking of the cabbage whites that flittered about, whom I’d just paid homage to in my Butterfly Journal post, and was not keen on offering one up to a pond bug. But no sooner had I thought it than a small one seemed to succumb in the wading pool. And that was that. A hover bee followed. I honestly wanted to rescue the hover bee, as I did see him fall in the drink, but before I had long to contemplate the Pond Skater rushed headlong over the water to the poor hover bee and within seconds it was still. I’d read about those pinchers. In the mornings that followed it was not too hard to find an occasional cucumber beetle in the roses or an earwig under a pot to offer to him. But how long is this going on? Hmmm.

Each morning when I went out to throw a ball for the Border Collies, I’d check on the Pond Skater, and he remained happily skating about. I even put a chair next to the wading pool so he’d have some respite from the hot afternoon sun.

But, alongside my generosity and respect and interest grew a voice that said, “Really? A pet bug? Maybe you should take him somewhere.” Where?

This morning inspiration moved me to catch him in a bucket, put him in the car, and head out to a nearby lake. Weird, but appropriate. Surely this is better.

Parked near the water’s edge, I walked out to a stone stairway that led directly into the water. Perfect.

Gently immersing the bucket into the water, I tipped it ever so slowly and out he swam into his huge new home. Wow. As I watched him make his way into the current my attention was immediately taken by three ducks who noticed me at water’s edge. Uh-oh. Maybe I should have thought this through.

I am suddenly realizing that these ducks are all conditioned to think that anyone along the water must be there to feed them. No! No! Go back. By now I cannot see the Pond Skater and have to imagine he’s safely well beyond this group of hungry ducks. Or these, now also wondering what’s afoot. Here they come!

At a certain point after one has done one’s best it is time to let go. Here is where I have left Pond Skater. This is his new home. If he becomes dinner for a duck or fish or bird I will console myself that Pond Skaters have been on the planet Earth for 55 MILLION years. They know what they are doing.

Pond Skater is somewhere out there.

I drive home reflecting on the immediacy of Pond Skater’s reality. He did not enter the large body of water fearful or even processing. He simply accepted what was and responded accordingly. A lesson that would not have escaped the observation of Mr. Henry David Thoreau.

Love and creature blessings,
Kathryn xoxoxo

Footnote: Julie’s comment below regarding what Pond Skaters are called in Ohio (water striders) had me googling Pond Skater to discover his other names, which included water bugs, magic bugs, pond skaters, skaters, skimmers, water scooters, water skaters, water skeeters, water skimmers, water skippers, water spiders, or Jesus bugs! Why, I asked myself, would they be called Jesus bugs? Dawning on me: because they can walk on water! 🙂

Book Notes: If you have enjoyed this post you might want to consider purchasing a copy of Kathryn’s book Plant Whatever Brings You Joy, available on Amazon as a Kindle edition or as a Real Book found at Estrella Catarina. Thank you.

Posted on July 18th, 2011 by Kathryn
Filed under: Animals | 10 Comments »