Petting Bees In Our Garden
The first signs of Spring appear as little buds protruding from the ground.
They peak through the damp, brown mulch and leaves from last Fall - day lilies and hostas growing eagerly.
Every morning in Spring we awaken to an increasing number of bird songs; some starting as early as 4am! Maybe it has something to do with our full bird feeder and welcoming bird bath. The yard has become a playground for critters from squirrels and chipmunks to birds and bees. We created an environment where they can all coexist and enjoy.
The next thing to bloom is typically our grapevines. They have been doing exceptional each year, and have become well established on the chain link fence along our yard.
This is a preferred hiding spot for the chipmunks, bunnies and birds. Once the grapes are ready for harvest, we have approximately one to two days before the birds absolutely ravage every fruit from the vine.
This rabbit enjoys the cool shade of our Marquette grapes. I think his family lives in our yard.
Mornings are our favorite - we stand in the kitchen with our espresso and observe our backyard waking up. It’s a busy causeway from our front yard to our garden where all the species interact with each other - mutually respecting the territory of their neighbors. Usually.
Occasionally we may even catch a lost duck waddling through and looking for a pond.
When the zinnias stand tall and bloom, we are in for another treat.
These pollinator-attractors are a beautiful, plentiful sight and provide food for bees, butterflies and a few other insect creatures as well. Typically we over-seed one of our garden beds, and it flourishes so much that I clip a vase or two full of flowers every day; which just encourages more growth!
In the Summer we usually find 1-3 monarchs in the zinnias per day.
Bumble bees don’t like being wet or cold; so in the mornings if you notice docile bees tucked into the flowers, it’s because they didn’t make it back to their hive or nest last night… They go to sleep basically until they warm up again!
When we take our espresso outside to stroll the garden, check what’s growing, and stop to smell the flowers, we always have a plethora of bumble bees that spent the night on our zinnias and sunflowers. They hum and buzz and are so chill that we can literally pet them. It’s one of our favorite parts of Summer to enjoy together. “Drinking espresso and petting the bees.”
Bumble bees also love our dahlias. This year we plan to plant a few more of these spectacular tubers.
With each bulb, we average between 3-6 blooms per season.
Whether you think you can or can’t - you’re right!
If you want to invite some birds and bees to your garden, stick out a bird feeder and got a planter pot of some zinnias, snflowers or dahlias.
You’ll be drinking espressos and petting bumble bees in no time.
We hope you enjoy some of these photos, and enjoy the outdoors today.