Dance Of The Bee's

The garden has been alive for months now with the sound of the bee's buzzing as they fly to collect all the nectar they can from the flowers.The Catnip Sixhills Giant, Cerinthes, and Monkshood in the garden, and the white flowers of the Privet have been the most productive for the visiting bee's.

I had to put the camera in the ait to capture these two photos. An English summer would not be the same without masses of bee's.Their black and yellow bodys and black obsidian eyes, with whirring wings always make me smile.They have done the pollination of flowers for tens of thousands of years, but every visit I see makes me smile.

These bee's are like stripey costumed dancers flying from flower to flower tirelessly seeking out the nectar, and collecting pollen on their furry bodys and legs. Untill the recent stories of colony collapse disorder they were unsung heros.
I planted as many Bee loving plants as I could find in order to attract them. I have Purple Cone Flowers, Sedum, Cornflowers, Lavender, and California Poppies still to flower yet.They will serenade the Bees, and other flying insects into doing a summer dance.
There is lots of honey being made somewhere nearby which my garden has contributed to.

An English Summer

... has gone according to the weathermen for this year. On Saint Swithins day (Last Sunday) it rained, so the rhyme goes it will rain for fourty days.

The Gardeners World magazine is full of drought beating plants, and water saving ideas's. They publish it a full month before the Calender Date on the cover though.

Are they more Hopeful than realistic the editors of GW magazine to hope it will be a long, Hot summer?

I virtually slept through most of yesterday after the seven nights.

This week I want to start my Horticulture advanced certificate. I am flower and plant mad so expanding my knowledge, and using my academic skills (rusty after six years post grad) will be good. I can apply the course to gardens and helping people with theirs. I am still an intinerant Gardener!

I had to photograph the Fireweed with its pink flowers, and poetical name. Fran wandered why it was called that, and was suprised about the Ontario forest fires and colonisation by the same Fireweed.

It is growing above on the edge of the NHS supplies centre, and building site. One house I walk past has a derelict garden that has eight Fireweed plants in flower. I wander if you can grow it from seeds? It is suprisingly ornamental for a weed :)