Let Them Sleep

   I rise before dawn and relish my alone time while I meander the Small Gardens.  It is here that I can revel in the beauty of the new day and give thanks for the peaceful sleep of the night before.  It is also here that I find a lot of my critter friends.  We share a love for the wildness of the overgrown plants and the dewy coolness that the night has brought.  

  This morning found me almost entranced by a single bumblebee that was snuggled down inside calyx of a spent bloom of the mist plant.  The bee had probably sought shelter for the night but had not been warned of the predawn thunderstorm.  My poor friend was waiting for the sun to dry its wings and warm it so it could continue its daily foraging.  I let the little one sleep even though the plant needed deadheading.  Bees are of high importance to anyone who gardens so they are treated kindly.

  It is funny how it never occurs to some folks that things like bees sleep.  Just like us, they need rest and will seek out some cozy spot to bed down for the nighttime hours.  My little bee friend did not choose its napping place wisely as the rains had to be startling.  Perhaps next time, it should shelter beneath the ginger leaves.  Rest on, Little One.  I bid you a good day.

There Is A Reason

   There is a reason that I do not use harmful chemicals in the garden.  I will go so far as to handpick caterpillars from the tomatoes or broccoli if it means I can do without killing the "good" insects.  Dousing everything with pesticides is foolishness and anyone who does is just asking for trouble.  Personally, chemical laden fruit and vegetables are not something I care to eat either.  If you are ok with that, so be it but you won't find anything that is not natural in my garden.  Just my preference...not something I push on others.

  This morning as I was picking yet another bucket of squash from the dozen plants, I received a reminder of just why I am so adamant about the "no-spray" deal.  A bumblebee was almost completely covered with pollen as it went from blossom to blossom.  That bee was pollinating the squash!  This, my friends, is how squash are formed.  Had I put poison on the plants, the bee would have died along with those pesky, plant-munching caterpillars.  Nope.  It is not happening here.  I prefer to have my bees alive and well and busy as...well, bees!  

If Only Critters Could Talk!

  I managed to slip out into the garden early this morning and was surprised to see how many critters had taken a liking to the chive blossoms.  Usually, the white blossoms are covered with lovebugs but this year there were only a few but joining them was a whole slew of other bugs!  Milkweed bugs, ailanthus webworm moths, longtailed skippers, assassin bugs, honeybees, bumblebees and even mosquitoes were busy on the blossoms.  Those were the ones I recognized.  Many more were flitting and crawling about the flowers.  Some, I was able to photograph.  Others were far too fast!  And then there were those that were too shy to stick around long enough for me to steady the camera in their direction.

  Finding so many different critters interested in the chive blossoms made me curious as to their nectar.  Is that stuff sweeter than say the roses that were blooming just a few feet away?  Does it taste better than the morning glories that fill the fence a directly behind the chive garden?  Are moonflowers, lilies and crepe myrtle blooms just not good enough for the bugs?  To me, the blossoms always tasted garlicky...these are garlic chives, after all.  So what is the big attraction here?  If only critters could talk!

Probably Not The Best Idea

  I found long ago that bumblebees and other flower bees sleep deep inside of flowers at night.  Here, they are snug little bugs!  In the morning, they have a ready source of pollen for breakfast before they go about their daily business.  Most flowers, such as lilies, squash blossoms and trumpet vine blooms are sturdy and provide shelter against rains and the chill of night. However!  Sometimes, the choice of bloom can be a mistake.

  Last night we had torrential rains.  Everything became soaked.  This morning's hike proved to be rather soggy with the leaves and blooms still dripping water.  One small bumblebee was quite soaked.  It had made the mistake of choosing the bloom of the Althea bush as its nighttime quarters.  Normally, while this would not have been the best choice, it definitely would not have been the worst.  The blooms of this shrub are "one time only" blooms.  They open during the day and then close...for good...at dusk.   If a bee climbed inside the bloom, the soft folds of petals would gently caress it like soft blankets as it closed for the night.  In the morning, the bee could still wiggle its way out of the petals.  With the rains, however, the petals would almost "glue" themselves together making a tightly enclosed "cocoon" around the bee.  Obviously, our little bee had sense enough to climb out of its bed and "ride out the storm" on the outer edge of the shriveled bloom.  Poor, little bee was covered with water droplets but was still clinging to its bloom!

  It seems that this summer has had two things going for it.  It has been hot!  We have had near record temperatures.  It has also been wet.  Rainstorms pop up almost every evening. as of late.  These storms have a lot of wind, lightning and thunder.  The little bee endured quite the ordeal last night so I am in hopes that it finds a safer place for tonight's slumber.  Perhaps it should try the new hotel called "Madonna Lily" down the garden a ways.  I hear tell that its "open all night" and is touted to have strong petals.  Sweet dreams, Little Bee!

Let It Bee!

  I figure that we all should do our part, no matter how small, in taking care of this old planet.  It is the only one we have so if we kill it, we kill ourselves.  Not a happy thought, now is it?  So, whenever I get the chance, I try to improve things a bit.  This usually involves me picking up and properly discarding other people's trash.  I have long gone by that mantra of leaving behind only footprints but it appears that others want to leave behind half of their belongings.  It is my observation that these same folks are the first to complain about the fine fix the world is in.  People whine far too much and do far too little to suit me.

  That said, I also try to leave Mother Nature alone when it comes to the Bayou.  She has a firm grasp on what is needed for the ecosystem to survive and thrive.  Wildflowers, also known as weeds by others, grow where they will and I refuse to clear them.  My gardens are filled with the volunteer plants as is the marsh and woods.  The plants not only make me happy but play a huge role in Mother Nature's plan.  Those "weeds" have a purpose. 

  Just this afternoon while out on a stroll with the old dog, I pondered that purpose.  I watched as a small bumblebee was busy gathering pollen from the goldenrod near the pier.  The bee was heavy laden but still went from plant to plant.  Yes, it was gathering the pollen for the winter.  While these bees do not overwinter in a huge hive, the queen needs sustenance to survive until spring.  Sometimes, she is the only one to overwinter.  Come spring, she, alone, will start the colony again.  By allowing the goldenrod and other wildflowers to grow in the yard, I, in a sense, am aiding in the pollination process that is so important.  Without the bees (of all sorts), the pollination of plants would diminish and, thus, begin to die out.  Without plants, our food source will die out as well.  So, by leaving the wildflowers, I am doing a tiny part in helping Mother Nature in her vast plan of our survival. 

 

The Queen Likes Pizza?

  Son, like any young man, eats a lot of pizza.  He loves the stuff.  His favorite is just plain old pepperoni pizza while if I had my way, everything would be piled on top!  And, even though I have quart jars of assorted herbs and spices, his favorite is what he calls "Pizza Spice".  The rest of the world evidently uses the wrong name of "Oregano".  Since he likes oregano so much, my stash is always being depleted which is why I took to growing that along side all of the other herbs.  Since oregano is easy to grow and reseeds itself, at least I shan't go broke buying the stuff.  

  While out picking figs this afternoon, I noticed that the oregano is in dire need of clipping.  Tomorrow will find me out with the scissors snipping the stalks for drying.  My harvesting is a bit late, though, as the herb has already started blooming.  While this will not hurt the flavor of the herb other than making it a mite stronger, I am a bit hesitant about going wild with the scissors.  Bees, namely bumblebees, have taken a liking to the blossoms!  Hundreds of the tiny bees were busy harvesting their own part of the oregano!  It seems as if the herb gardens are full of pollinators this year!

  The bumblebees that are busy in the herb garden are not truly out to make honey with the pollen and nectar they gather.  Since their colonies are tiny compared to honeybees and since only the queen bumblebee overwinters, there is no need for a mass amount of honey.  The bumblebees fill tiny "nectar pots" with the stuff they gather.  This is to feed the larvae that hatch in the spring and to feed the queen.  The queen sort of overstuffs herself to prepare for winter and then hibernates.  She awakes in the spring to tend to her new brood but unlike the honeybee queen, she has no worker bees.  She tends to the larvae herself and, once they mature, the cycle starts again.  

  The bumblebees, today, were quite busy on the herbs.  As they gathered food for the nectar pots and for the queen, I could not help but giggle.  I sure hope the queen likes pizza!

 

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!

Sleeping bees and rainbow dogs!

Have you ever wondered just what other critters do during the nighttime hours? We all know that there are diurnal creatures and nocturnal creatures. The nocturnal ones such as owls, bats, mice, armadillos and a host of others obviously do their hunting and foraging after the sun goes down but what about those creatures that are strictly out in the daytime? I pondered the fact this afternoon while I was busy doing nothing! I had finished my chores and headed outside as usual when I spied a bumblebee. The little bee was "busy as a bee" gathering nectar from the goldenrod by the pier. A good half hour was spent in amazement as the tiny critter worked the flowers from one end of the plant to the other. Tiny flecks of golden pollen collected on the hairs of her body giving her an iridescent quality. She was carrying gold! She would sip the nectar from the blossoms and gather the pollen on the fuzz or pile covering her body. Quite the pretty little bee, she was!

Then as the sun started to set, I wondered just where she would spend the night? Would she head back to a nest somewhere? I sat and watched. The little bee just kept on working as the sun slid down behind the pine trees. Hmmm..it was starting to get a tad bit dark to be outside near the marsh edge. One never knows what nocturnal critter might slip out of the marsh unseen. I sat a bit longer. Sure enough..just as it was getting about too dark to see, she chose a sleeping spot. The little bumblebee chose a blossom toward the middle of the plant and clung to it. She had settled in for the night. The little bee was just going to sleep hanging upside down on the goldenrod! Ahh..gives a new meaning to "breakfast in bed" ..now doesn't it??

Speaking of bed..early this morning with the first rays of sunlight beaming through the windows, I had to giggle a bit. On the window ledge there is a host of crystals and prisms that scatter rainbows over the entire room with the rising sun. This morning, however, these rainbows were scattered all over Ezzy, the sleeping dog! She was still all snug in her bed when I observed the phenomenon of the Rainbow-hued dog! I suppose she thought it a mite rude of me to awaken her by taking pictures of her even before she had a chance to primp or pose! She was oblivious to the rainbows splashing about on her fur..something that reminded me a bit of the "Wizard of Oz" segment of a "horse of a different color"! My dog was definitely a "dog of a different color"! Sometimes you just have to have a good giggle first thing in the morning even if it is at the expense of some unsuspecting friend! Good Ole Ezzy..she has no clue that my giggles were at her. She was just happy to have a bit of attention!