Re: Are you seeing bees?

**Kelejan** 6/1/2016, 10:45 am

This morning at five while putting out the weekly garbage, I decided to pull a few weeds from among the bushes fronting the road. One of the bushes was in full bloom, full of pink flowers, and among the flowers I counted at least 20 bees working away from flower to flower.

Now I know why one of my neighours walking her dog yesterday, was standing for a few minutes in one spot. Although I could not see her while I was working in my car porch, her dog was on a very long leash and standing at the bottom of my driveway looking up at me.

When she moved into my sight, I went and greeted her and we passed the time of day but she did not mention why she had been standing there. Now I believe she must have been watching the bees at work, just as I did this morning.

CapeCoddess 6/1/2016, 11:02 am

Gee, Kelejan...you post made me imagine that it could become a rare treat to see bees. I sure don't have many in my neck of the woods this. My pear tree has only half the number of pears forming on it that it had last year and I can't find any fruit on the peach.
Sad

It's the talk of the neighborhood, fortunately. So many are aware & willing to do more, like mow around the clover...and so many don't care.
CC

**donnainzone5** 6/1/2016, 11:23 am

Suddenly, bees are quite active in my yard.

Currently, the following bee-attractants are blooming:

- Borage
- Bridal Wreath Spirea
- Peonies
- Salvia
- Irises
- Rhododendrons
- Cat Mint
- Pulmonaria
- Sage (on the brink of blooming)
- Blackberries
- Raspberries ("Frankenberry," with dozens of Sons of Frankenberry positioning themselves to do so next year. Or later this year.
- Clover

Can there be such a thing as too many bees? Though I doubt it, I fear for passing neighborhood children and my cats. The latter, however, seem to have made their peace with the pollinators, sharing the catmint with equanimity.

**sanderson** 6/1/2016, 7:47 pm

KJ, Pure bee poetry.

Very few this year. Sad

**Kelejan** 6/1/2016, 8:11 pm

sanderson wrote:KJ, Pure bee poetry.

Very few this year.

I saw my neighbour again this morning and asked her was she watching the bees at workyesterday as I had seen them this morning.

Embarassed

She said that she did not notice the bees but was busy picking up dog poo. A huge dump had be left there from some huge dog, and as she always carries a doggy bag with he she picked it up. I thanked her and said that I noticed that our area had little dog poo left around so the it must be due to her. She said she hated to see it and always takes a second bag with her; I was able to say the same, but only when I was walking my own dog.

Anyway, the bees were still at it so we enjoyed a couple of minutes just watching them.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/1/2016, 8:19 pm

I have seen the big carpenter bees and wasps, no true bees yet. My cat mint is in bloom, and my annuals are in, lots of lantana, marigolds blooming. Will keep an eye open!

CitizenKate 6/1/2016, 10:55 pm

I've been seeing them in increasing numbers in my garden. In early spring, I am seeing more of them gathering pollen from the dandelions (I don't treat them any more, for just this reason), then later, when cucumbers start to blossom, they really show up in numbers.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/1/2016, 11:01 pm

Yeah, this is my last year for yard treatments. They came uninvited from a previous person who lived here.

**sanderson** 6/9/2016, 1:07 pm

From SFG Foundation Facebook page: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-techniques/how-to-attract-native-bees-zm0z13aszkin.aspx

herblover 6/9/2016, 2:55 pm

I have seen a few; I intentionally let my sage and thyme flower early for them since they will bloom before any of my perennial flowers do.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/9/2016, 10:23 pm

Saw bumbles this week! I am sure the little guys are around, just haven't seen them.... Are you seeing bees? - Page 24 2636062189

**Scorpio Rising** 6/9/2016, 10:31 pm

herblover wrote:I have seen a few; I intentionally let my sage and thyme flower early for them since they will bloom before any of my perennial flowers do.

Herb, I have ordered Walkers Low Catmint from Bluestone Perennials here in Ohio, and they are a bee magnet! Beautiful plant, big, nice habit, I will try to get a pic of mine where it is next to my milkweeds. This company stands by their product as well. Mom and Pop business. Family owned. I really try to use them whenI can....and I will tell you they have healthy, neonic free plants that arrive promptly and in good shape. They will replace them if they die within the year too.

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.bluestoneperennials.com

Highly recommended. And really cool plants! I planted a clover from there that is just beautiful if I can find it! Talk about a bee magnet! And their Monarda (bee balms) are gorgeous! Enough.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/9/2016, 10:36 pm

In my horrible clay dirt, it flourishes!

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/TRRU.html

Check it out! Nice plants and people!

**donnainzone5** 6/10/2016, 3:43 pm

I frequently order from Bluestone, too.

landarch 6/10/2016, 10:08 pm

Walkers Low Catmint starts well from cuttings (from what I've read the plant is not patented). Bees absolutely love it.

That said, I am seeing no butterflies this year...I have marsh milkweed, scarlet milkweed, butterfly milkweed, purple coneflower, liatris, yellow coneflower, blue false indigo, walkers low catmint, paw paw seedlings, dill, and carrots (usually see swallowtail caterpillars on the carrot leaves...none yet).

countrynaturals 6/10/2016, 10:22 pm

landarch wrote:Walkers Low Catmint starts well from cuttings (from what I've read the plant is not patented). Bees absolutely love it.

That said, I am seeing no butterflies this year...I have marsh milkweed, scarlet milkweed, butterfly milkweed, purple coneflower, liatris, yellow coneflower, blue false indigo, walkers low catmint, paw paw seedlings, dill, and carrots (usually see swallowtail caterpillars on the carrot leaves...none yet).

YIKES! No butterflies? Sad

We've had a few more than last year in some categories, but the little California Hairstreaks that came to our ligustrum by the hundreds last year, didn't show up at all, well, I saw 2 -- not a good sign. Sad

audrey.jeanne.roberts 6/11/2016, 1:24 am

I have been planting perennials around my veggie garden for 3 years now and the bees just keep coming more each year. They especially love my sunflowers. I have a variety that produces multi heads all over the stalk and they are on them all day long.

We have an all black variety of bumble bee, regular bumble bees, honey bees and loads of mason bees as well. I love hearing them when I get up to water in the morning.

hammock gal 6/11/2016, 9:00 am

I'm seeing some bees, but I'll be better able to judge once my perovskia blooms. It's the one thing in the garden that's always covered in honey bees and bumblebees. I just planted six more of them, so I'll be watching them to see if there seem to be fewer bees this year. Keeping my fingers crossed. The perovskia smells sooo good, I'm not surprised the bees favor it.

**AtlantaMarie** 6/11/2016, 9:25 am

I've got bumbles & honey bees all over my white clover & bee balm.

BeetlesPerSqFt 6/11/2016, 11:40 am

The flowers I planted are working, I have BEEEES! Are you seeing bees? - Page 24 2636062189

They are on the salvia and the sage and the lilacs and the volunteer red clover I declined to weed out. Soon the butterflyweed, bee balm, and thyme will bloom. There are plenty of bumble bees, who I look forward to seeing buzz my tomatoes, ground cherries, peppers, eggplants, etc. And a fair number of honey bees considering the neighbor's hives didn't make it through the winter, and he only... re-bee'ed(?I'm sure there's a real word for this...) the hives a few weeks ago. They're a little wonky, though. I keep finding them licking my MM and one kept trying to feed on my red yarn grid... poor new-bees.

**sanderson** 6/11/2016, 2:32 pm

Beetles, Lovely area of pink and purples. Wonky is a good way to describe the behavior of the few bees I see. I blame it on the common practice of pest control service in the neighborhoods. What do I know.

**Turan** 6/11/2016, 3:15 pm

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

Oh I love the blues and the bee.

yolos 6/11/2016, 3:18 pm

Bumble Bees are all over the flowers on my Lima Beans. A few on the flowers of the Fortex Pole Beans, cucumbers, and squash.

CapeCoddess 6/11/2016, 4:37 pm

AtlantaMarie wrote:I've got bumbles & honey bees all over my white clover & bee balm.

I went out and checked my clover and catmint today and there were none.
sobbing

Beetles, what is that big pink plant? Is it pink lilacs? I've never seen pink lilacs.

CC

BeetlesPerSqFt 6/11/2016, 7:44 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:
AtlantaMarie wrote:I've got bumbles & honey bees all over my white clover & bee balm.

I went out and checked my clover and catmint today and there were none.

Beetles, what is that big pink plant? Is it pink lilacs? I've never seen pink lilacs.

CC

The two big pink flowered bushes are indeed lilacs. Lilacs come in purple, white, pink, yellow, burgundy, and probably variegated, too. Four years ago the landlord asked what I wanted in the recently completed landscape bed, and I said a purple lilac bush. Apparently they were on sale, and not well labeled - so I've ended up with two pink ones instead. Bees like them, and I didn't pay for them, so I can't complain! They flowered very nicely this year. Last year they just got credit for trying.

My catnip has gone missing from it's corner in the herb bed... It was a volunteer and the past three years it's just been there in the corner of the bed with no effort on my part. But it just didn't come back this spring. I started seeds the other day, but I think I've spotted a plant on the border of the property I could try to sneak some cuttings off of.

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