Bee Nursery and Danger Lurks

I have to admit right up front that I love nature and am a toucher. Yep I love to reach out and feel things. Now in some situations that could be dangerous, like with bears or sharks, but bees I can handle.

 Take these slumbering workers. They worked till they fell asleep on the last flower visited and wait for the sun to shine the next morning before starting their day. So while they slumber I can reach out and pet their little backs (I'm hoping some of their industrious nature rubs off on me)!
On this flower alone there were 7 of the little fellas hidden around the petals!

Sometimes there is just one bee, sometimes a group.

Now the danger part of this post is that this year I have discovered  a bug I did not know existed. They are called Bee Assassins! If you go Google them you will see they are quite nasty from a bee's point of view. I have been watching for them on the flowers and discovered a few and they do indeed kill bees and I can't have that!!! Bees are struggling enough in this world as it is and I have to do my small part to protect them and keep the plants pollinated.
Although the pictures on Google show them as redish or blackish, mine are green with touches of yellow. They are smaller than bees but evidently their bite is toxic and paralyzes the bee. Yuck!
Well I am off to have breakfast with a friend this morning so I will bid you ado for now. Have a great day all!

 

A Laugh a Day!

I have introduced you to this little monkey on a few occasions but to say he is one of the brightest lights in the garden is an understatement!
Bruce Wayne!
So named because his fur forms a "batman" like mask on his face and as we all know Bruce Wayne was Batman's secret identity!
Well I have a few objects lounging about the garden waiting to be painted or transformed into "new" things. This old birdcage is one of the objects in question and recently in a storm it was blown over and guess who decided it made a great playhouse? Yep Bruce Wayne. I have to admit I kind of thought it was a suitable habitation for him considering the mischief he gets up to....

                     Yep he looks perfect in there!
Do you think he thought he was fooling the birds into thinking he was one of them?

Have a great day in the garden!

Tina xo

What a Difference a Day Makes

I live in area surrounded by farmer's fields. Some planted with corn and other crops I am not familiar with, but most of it is for feed. This part of New York is primarily dairy farms. Small and large they dominate the landscape around here.

My garden area is limited to small spaces located here and there around the lawn. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for whatever space I have to work with. All gardens are scared space as far as I am concerned!

 One of the things I love is that my lawn is surrounded by a meadow that in my mind is an extension of my garden. That being said, one of the things I DO NOT look forward to is the twice a year mowing and harvesting of the meadow!
              Enter Farmer Bubbins

                        (Dramatic music here)

There is no more beautiful sight than to see those gorgeous tall grasses gently swaying in the soft breeze, the sound almost like a hymn to nature! So imagine how my heart aches as it is mowed down..:(

Now for all the wonderful ladies out there who farm I know you have a handle on the necessity of hewing down meadows, but for a city girl this is a major catastrophe! 

 I wring my hands, I pace, I give Farmer Bubbins the evil eye! But all to no avail. In truth I have spoken to him many times and he is a lovely older man who  is so soft spoken it is hard not to adore him. But tell that to the ground nesting Blackbirds!

So as I watch in horror from my window the field is slowly reduced to rubble and I mourn it's loss.

It is mowed and turned and heaped and finally chopped and shot into the backs of trucks to be hauled away.

(note the cat running as far away as he can get from the noise).

Farmer Bubbins and I worked out a little deal early on that he would not mow a good 10 feet around my lawn so I could still pretend I have a meadow there if I lay on the ground.

So although they got a late start on the mowing because of the flooding, the first cutting is over and we all can breathe a sigh of relief for a couple of months!

So in 24 hours, one little day, the world around my home changed...sniff!

Poor Farmer Bubbins always pauses before he starts mowing and gives me an apologetic look and I guess that will have to suffice...sigh!

Hope you all have a great Father's Day weekend and many blessings to all the Dads out there!

 

Tina xo

My Little Garden

First I need to let you know that I have a small garden located in little vignettes around the lawn located next to my rental home so I have limited space to work with. Sometimes things get a little out of control around here as I work on art and crafts so weeding and thinning in the garden sometimes slides to the bottom of the list.

This year the poppies got totally out of control (the constant rain for over a month played a part I am sure) and they kind of took over one whole side of my tiny front garden section.
Still the blooms were note-worthy and beautiful and although they didn't last but a week the color was awesome!
I do have some fabulous irises I will be photographing and posting about later too.
I hope your garden is finally off to a good start, weather notwithstanding. Happy digging!

Tina xo

Finally a Glimmer of Hope

Although I love Winter and the hush that falls over the world during that season I have to admit I was more than ready for Spring to show her lovely face.
First we had to live through weeks of bone chilling rain and flooding that damaged so many homes and lives. Then a few glorious days of sun but sadly the forecast is for another week of rain coming up starting today.
Still when I walked outdoors this morning there was cause to smile!

  For the first time since moving here 7 years ago the little pine tree has the beginnings of cones. What a treat for the eyes!

 The sweet little lilac bush is budding and has a few babies around the bottom of her trunk and this year I am planning on transplanting some of them to new locations.

The precious Bamboo cutting and all the Peonies have returned and wait patiently for me to come weed around them.

As do my beloved Iris and Daylilies!

I guess what I love the most about the Daylilies, Iris and Poppies is the fact that they escape their bounds and spread where they will so that each year there are more of them to enjoy.

So for me, a gardener located in upstate New York the New Year has officially begun!
I am so looking forward this year to sharing my humble garden, my art and little glimpses into my family history through my blogs! And as always I will be watching and reading all of your blogs and feeling inspired by all of your accomplishments too!
Happy May!


Tina xo