Three Bees

My garden theme this summer is "for the bees," and I observed the native hawthorn tree and found three different kinds of bees working in the blossoms. I know the first (above)  is a bumblebee. I suspect the second is a mason bee (please correct me if I'm wrong). And I think the third is a sweat bee. The flowers I've planted for the bees have yet to blossom, though today's heat will help. And the seeds I planted are growing well. I hope to share more about the bees as the season continues.

And here's a garden update since I've been busy this month. It's been a good spring for violets. Here's two varieties from my yard.

 I love the native cranesbill.

 These lilacs have finished blooming but my late blooming lilac tree is beginning today.

May Day?

A casual observer might think that I took this photo today (actually two days ago). This lovely dandelion is providing food for a bee, and my garden's theme is "for the bees." However, even though the average temperature is in the 60s now, we have snow. The heavy, wet slush has gathered on the netting I used to protect pea seeds from the birds. Instead of birds I worry about the cold (close to freezing) and snow. However, gardeners in Minnesota know spring's moodiness, and I have more seeds ready to go. 

Happy Earth Day!

There's no better way to spend Earth day than exploring the outdoors. Here are a few photos from my morning walk. Happy Spring!!!

This could be a spot for a fairy garden.

And here's a few photos from earlier...

Spring Into Gardening Presentation

At Becker Library on Saturday, March 18, at 11 am, please join me for my presentation, "Spring Into Gardening." I'll talk about a few gardening trends as well as my goal to create a garden to help support bees and other pollinators. #bringbackthebees Hopefully we'll have some fun... and definitely we'll have some chocolate! 

Summer 2017 for the Bees

I'm declaring Summer 2017 "The Summer for Bees." In my garden, I'll choose flowers the bees like and need. One thing I'll keep in mind is the timing so that there's something for the bees all season long. I'll go with my usual trick of planting alyssum extremely early with the chance it may die and have to be replaced, and I'll try to keep that alyssum going the entire growing season (and past the first frosts if I can!). I have some lilacs and irises for spring, but I'll add some annuals, too. I didn't have much luck with getting my lavender to flower last summer (my garden becomes shadier each year), but maybe I'll try cornflowers as bees are supposed to like blue flowers.  I'm lucky enough to live in the woods with a diverse wildflower population. Wild bees like wild plants. I've heard they like herbs, too, like the bee in the photo above with my lovely chive blossoms. 

Garden Revolution

Since my garden is asleep for the winter, I thought I'd add a book review. Garden Revolution puts into words what I think a lot of us organic gardeners already do.  We find the best plant for the space we have since we're not using chemical sprays. But this book goes further. I like how the authors suggest embracing a philosophy of ecological gardening. This means avoiding tilling, weeding, and fertilizing in favor of letting nature do what it will. However, they don't suggest letting invasive species take over. Instead they have a thoughtful plan for moving out the invasive by encouraging the native. One example of enhancing nature is Weaner's own home. Over the years one stalk of cardinal flower seeds created a sea of color in his yard. The photo on page 313 proves his theory well. While this book gets pretty technical in parts, it's worth a look. 

Some bunny wishes you...

Some bunny wishes you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Joyous Kwanzaa, a Happy Solstice, and a beautiful new moon.  Whatever your holiday, I hope it's filled with love and light. This photo is our annual cookie making on Christmas Eve. We like to be creative, so you'll notice non-traditional shapes and colors. That's how we roll (the cookie dough)!