The Wise, Little Bumblebee!

  Late this evening, I noticed a tiny bumblebee crawling about on the white blossoms of the garlic chives.  Since I had nothing better to do at the moment, the bee caught my full attention.  I marveled at how quickly the little thing raided the flowers of their nectar.  The bee was not gathering pollen as its "sacks" were not full.  A bumblebee will store bits of pollen between the hairs on its back legs.  It does this so it can carry it back to the hive and feed the youngsters.  The adult bee feeds on nectar and will even chew a hole a the base of a flower to "steal" the nectar.  This assures it of a meal that it will not have to share with other insects such as butterflies.  My little friend was not worried about stealing the nectar as its only competition tonight was a couple of lovebugs.  (Yep, it is that time of year again!  Lovebugs will soon be smashed across every car windshield in the neighborhood!)  

  The bumblebee seemed to be thoroughly enjoying itself as it went from cluster to cluster of the tiny, white flowers.  I snipped off one stem of flowers and sniffed it.  Yep, that is definitely the garlic chives!  I have several large clumps of different types of chives scattered about the garden. They are so easy to grow and the clumps of bright green look attractive even in flower gardens.  Then in the fall when the plants bloom, their bright white, pale pink or lavender flowers add much beauty.  I love to use these in place of onions and to add them to different herbal remedies.  Chives of any sort are extremely healthy for you!  Besides adding a good bit of flavor to many dishes, chives are antibacterial and can be used as a depurative.  In other words, chives have the ability to purify the blood and detoxify the liver and kidneys. This, my friends, should be of interest to everyone!  Eating chives has been proven to help our overall health.

  As I sat watching that bumblebee go from flower to flower, I pondered if the little critter knew of all the health benefits that it was ingesting. Was the bee only interested in filling its belly or did it know of the healthy goodness that the flower held?   Sometimes I think that critters are a lot wiser than we want to believe.  So, folks, grow some chives and use them to help yourself feel a whole lot better!