Home for Bees

Our friendly bees help so much in the garden and they don't ask for much. A few flowers all season for food and maybe some place to build a home.

This Spring I decided to try making a bee house. If you search, there are many sites with plans and instructions. Basically, these holes in wood are where many solitary bees will place their eggs for the next generation. I made a few different blocks, but this one turned out be busy.


Lots of foliage near by for the leaf cutters.


It was interesting to check every few days to spot activity. Here, in late June looks like leaf cutters were moving in.


A month later a few more hole were filled, and some were hatched.


At the end of the season, this house is pretty full. I have another double block next to this one, but only one space was filled.


I have really enjoyed the bees in the garden this year. Seems like a large number of bumble bees around. But there were also many smaller ones. I was very happy when some decided to use the house I made. The spot is protected under the eastern overhang of a shed roof -- next a mixed "wildflower" bed.

I hope to see the other homes fill in next year.

Still Here

(above: sunchokes in the park)

Okay, I'm not even going to try to catch up on what was missed since my last post! At least I beat the 3-month mark....This season has actually been quite exciting with new things in the garden. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to share it all. Maybe I will get to some of that over the winter.

So, onward... This is a stand of sunchokes or Jerusalem artichokes in a park we walk through. They do put on an impressive display. You can see a tired Dakota in the foreground (we took a long walk that day). I took the opportunity to smell the flowers and it is true, they do smell a bit like chocolate. Too bad the ones in our yard are not flowering -- they are quite tall though. Maybe I should sneak some of this variety.

(above: sunchokes in the park)

This caterpillar was hanging on the back door. I carefully put it on the ground for a quick photo-op. Is this what they call a "woolly bear"? It sure moved pretty fast. I left it on the kale to make its escape. We have had a large mix of insects in the yard this year.

(above: caterpillar)


(above: caterpillar on kale)

I guess the Monarchs are mostly moving south, but we saw a couple too tired to go anywhere. We were careful not to touch the wings of this one. It few off to the tree tops after a couple photos.

(above: tired Monarch butterfly)


(above: tired Monarch butterfly)

This seems to have been a year for dragonflies -- more to eat the mosquitoes. Here are a couple found resting in the yard. Overhead in the evenings are busy airways with much zig-zagging.

(above: black/blue dragonfly)


(above: red dragonfly)

Finally, I cannot forget our wonderful bees! There have been so many. I think that a few have begun to hibernate near or in the yard, which may explain the increase in activity this year. I also built a bee condo/house and have had many occupants. They sure do love certain flowers. Echinacea seems one favorite, but sunflowers and raspberries have attracted the largest groups.

(above: bumblebee on echinacea)

Well, we are still here in ND and the garden has grown this year. The season is not done and I am hoping to get some vegetables before the fall frosts come.

Another Bee!

Home from work on Friday, I was surprised to find a bumblebee in the day-lily shoots. The garden really is coming to life. I even got some gardening tasks done this weekend, including the layout of some new vegetable beds.

I don't know if this was the bee from the other day...but it looked very comfortable inside this crocus bed...


It really did not seem to have plans to vacate anytime soon.


The bulbs are starting to put on some nice shows...


There is still a lot of bulb potential to keep me happy until the spring plants pop up.



If the temperatures cooperate next week I should get a bit of planting done...yey!

Crocus and Bee

(bee and crocus)

I am so happy! We have crocuses blooming and the first bee of the season....Time to get the bee house out/made. I decided to take a tour of the yard now that all the snow is gone and found this surprise. The first crocus bloom was actually on April 9th, which seems fairly average here. But the pictures with the bee are so much better!


(bee and crocus)

Finally we have a few days in the 60s F. Many shoots can be spotted like this hyacinth.

(hyacinth)

Chives are starting to shoot up as well.

(chives)

We added rhubarb to our garden last year...here is a shoot just starting to rise above the leaves.

(rhubarb sprouting)

Our only flowers right now are the crocuses. This is a new addition last fall. I like the effect of the purple striping.

(purple painted crocus)

Here are more purple with some pure white as well...

(purple and white crocus)

Here's the first group that started to bloom - on the west side of the house. I think next year the new additions (above) on the south side might take over the honor.

(light yellow crocus)

I have been reading up on that resources we might have right in our yard. I already knew a few things like dandelions are available, but here is the first prize for a "wild edible" this year: day-lily shoots.

(garden bed with common day-lily shoots)

[Please note aka disclaimer, eating things - especially wild plants is at your own risk. Be sure to correctly identify the plants. Also, individuals can have reactions to plants others can safely eat, so go easy at first.]

I have read in many sources that day-lilies are edible. After checking the blooms from last year (4th of July) it looks like ours are the common day-lily Hemerocallis fulva. I guess a typical urban yard fits the profile of a waste ground or disturbed land. According to my Peterson Field Guild there are many stages at which this plant can be used:

Early Spring: Small, tender shoots in salads
Early Spring: Small shoots cooked like asparagus
Early Spring: Young tubers in salad or cooked like corn
Summer: Buds as green beans or fritters
Summer: Flowers as fritters and seasoning
Fall: Older tubers can be cooked like corn


(harvested day-lily shoot and tuber part)

I have to say, the raw tubers and shoots were not bad at all and quite mild. I prefer the salad option to the cooked. I can't wait to try out the flowers...for now the next edible may be dandelion greens...

Late Summer

Here's a late summer update of my garden...The bees have appreciated the sunflower blooms I have in the garden. Some of the plants look nice and others look a little worn.

Here the bumblebee is sharing with the smaller bees.


A pretty shot of the ornamental.


A giant edible sunflower...


The head is large and heavy on this plant. In the background you can see the 13 foot tall reaching to the sky.


Swiss chard is still growing just fine.


Our prized spaghetti squash - well it's our only one of note right now.


What do you know, my stunted cucumbers do have some fruit!


This is strange - we have June bearing strawberries and there are few scattered berries for the fall.


We obtained two varieties of rhubarb early in the summer. Next year we should have a good harvest. Not sure which will taste better...I like the red look better.


The parsley and basil...the dog and puppy couldn't resist getting in a shot. Dakota is a very nice big sister to our new miniature Dachshund puppy (10 weeks old) in the lower right.


A strip of marigolds that worked out.


The aster is just starting to bloom...


Some things are still waiting...


Here's a shot of my "hidden" sedum...


This plant is past it's prime, but I always like it in bloom and it has great leaves.


Well that's my update...seems that this time of the year is my slow blog season (well lazy blog season). Thanks!