The cold nights of may meant that there will be little fruit this year. The flowers were chiled and so were the bees.
But the late flowering blackberries look better.
And lots of bees and other insects now to pollinate.
Archives for posts with tag: Bees
The rockii is in full bloom.
Wild bees find and check out the newly installed bee hotel.
The painting is finished and it’s warm enough to start potting the tomatoes.
The bees are still active getting some more nectar for winter.
Many of the fruit trees I’ve planted over the years are flowering for the first time in this springs warm weather. The bees have found this plum tree.
I wonder what will happen if each flower becomes a plum.
Yesterday I was at the annual Stockholm Garden Show. It’s always good and different each year. I could criticise some things that were not as good as last year, but then other things were better, so I won’t get into that. Here are some pictures instead.
Dirt and wood chips everywhere sure smells good 
Making pointy sticks 
Best birdhouse competition
Make your own solitary bee home 
Rustic recycled wood benches 
An old trunk is nice garden art 
A fence idea
An electric powered wheel burrow 
And some old fashioned orange ones
I bought 2 more traditional plum/prune trees.
There were also many plants, ideas, seeds, inspiration, tools, friends to meet again and much much more.
This bird bath is made of two insulators for high power electricity that fit together nicely. I bought them seperately at the local auction. Most people there think I’m a bit crazy buying all this weird and useless stuff. But it’s very cheap, as no one else wants it, and it makes fabulous garden art, or so I think.
The birds love it too during dry spells as well as many insects including bees and butterflies who flock to it for a drink.
This summer, however, there have not been any dry spells. And the rain is still falling, keeping the night air warm and the frost away for a little while longer.
Stone Buddha contemplating Lacy phacelia.
I sow Lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) and other green manure plants whenever I have some empty spaces at the end of the spring season. It’s an excellent cover crop aiding in weed control.
But not only that, it has a long flowering period with blossums rich in nectar attracting bees, butterflies and other insects facilitating pollination. It is also important in biological pest control by attracting hoverflies which eat aphids and other pests.
Nice to contemplate too.
By the way – Happy Autumn Equinox!
This is a patch of common thyme spreading by self seeding in the driveway. This patch has hissop, lavender, oregano and sage mixed in also by self seeding.
Bees are attracted in hoards to the rich flowering. Butterflies too. And when our neighbor drives by he leaves a wonderful fragrance.
Time to harvest for drying for winter use. I try to cut sprigs just before flowering.
timogarden 