The Wisteria is looking wonderful, each day new blooms open.......
This little arch is covered in ivy and a clematis, for the life of me I cannot remember its name......climbers over arches are wonderful nesting sites for birds..........
My little bees are working in the garden.........did you know bumblebees have smelly feet and leave a scent on the flower they visit, to tell other bees, there is no nectar left.......
They do not have ears. They pick up vibrations through their bodies........
Bumblebees can fly at 30 mph. The buzz is produced by their flight muscles.......
They do not have ears. They pick up vibrations through their bodies........
Bumblebees can fly at 30 mph. The buzz is produced by their flight muscles.......The scientific name for the bumblebee is bombus. Their old English name is Dumbledore.......don't you just love that.....Dumbledore, what a great name.
As you will see from the above photographs this little bee was intent on reaching this bloom. She buzzed and hovered around it for ages..........'I will get there, I will get there'
And she did. I delighted in watching her........bees charm and captivate me.....they take me back to Gramps and Nannies garden......a small child sitting amongst the blooms on a hot summers day watching the bees fly from flower to flower.........a bygone age that stays with me..........that stills me when life is rushed and harsh................I have a lot to thank my grandparents for, I wish I could tell them. I am sure my grandfather looks down on me, and perhaps he knows just how much he meant.......I do hope so.......
And she did. I delighted in watching her........bees charm and captivate me.....they take me back to Gramps and Nannies garden......a small child sitting amongst the blooms on a hot summers day watching the bees fly from flower to flower.........a bygone age that stays with me..........that stills me when life is rushed and harsh................I have a lot to thank my grandparents for, I wish I could tell them. I am sure my grandfather looks down on me, and perhaps he knows just how much he meant.......I do hope so.......
37 comments:
Bees with smelly feet, now that made me smile!
I had no idea bees' feet left a scent to let other bees know the nectar is gone. Fascinating!
How delightful Cheryl, your Wisteria is beautiful and your Clematis looks very much like one of mine which is flowering now called Pink Perfection.
I was aware of the bees 'hearing' by vibration but not about the 'smelly' feet that made me laugh.
I am quite sure your Gramps looks down on you, I feel those we loved the most are always with us.
Hi Re....Glad it made you laugh but it is true.....
Hi Monica......as far as I know it is only bumbles that have smelly feet.....not sure about other species.....
Hi Jan....thank you re clematis....pink perfection does ring a bell.....
My grandfather was a very important figure in my life....a quiet gentlemen, with a lovely sense of humour and a twinkle in his eye. I can never remember him getting angry with me. We wrote to each other til the day he died.....I still have his postcards.......
Cheryl, you are a treasure trove of bee information. Smelly feet and good vibrations.
I am sure your Grandfather walks with you in the garden and is pleased with you. Grandmother too.
I believe dumbledore is a character in the Harry Potter series. I wondered where that name came from. I love the word bombus. I think it would be a great name for a pet. Bombus. Doesn't it sound like a big round teddy bear. To me bumble bees are the teddy bears of the bees.
Delightful story about your grandparents and the bees.
Your vines look great !
And what better way for you to honor Gramps and Nannie than to provide the same experience for your little grandchildren? Poppi will make the same reflections in years to come.
cheryl...wonderful thoughts...i am sure your grandparents knew you loved them and that they were special to you. i have wonderful memories of my grandparents too...they lived on a piece of land very much like i live on now. i learned lots of outdoor stuff from them. it's great to have special memories triggered by something like the bees...smelling leather does it for me.
those arches are so incredible. i love things growing in the air like that. i planted purple bush beans on one of my pergolas yesterday. one lasts years clematis is finally coming up on another pergola.
i did not know some of these interesting facts of a bee...smelley feet...leaving their scent...old english name(dumbledore). i love knowing these things about the bumbles...i love watching them too.
Your gardens are so beautiful! We had a huge wysteria at our last house and I really miss it.
Love Wisteria! and the bees too...lol
Wonderful photos and so pleased you posted your Wisteria! It looks absolutely fantastic!
Oh I can't wait for mine to be mature too :)
Love the wistaria in flower, mine is almost ready too, I have a white one.
Very pretty your arch with gorgeous climbers.
Smelly feet, ha, funny!
Thank you Lisa.....that is such a sweet thing to say.
I think you are right re dumbledore....not being a Harry Potter fan, I cannot say for sure.....
I agree, Bombus would be a lovely name for a dog.......
Hi Marmee....thank you for sharing your love, of your grandparents.....I love the smell of leather but it does not connect me to anyone.. May I ask why it connects you to your grandparents?
I have several arches in the garden....I love them.....they take a long time to establish, but are so worth it when they do.....
Hi Liz....I did post that especially for you....it is lovely to see what lies ahead, is it not??
Cheryl, it's funny how gardens can evoke certain memories. I often think of my grandmother, too, when I am in the garden. I have a feeling our grandparents are looking down on us and can sense what we feel.
I always learn something new about bees here, Cheryl.I never knew about the bumblebees' smelly feet; actually, that's very polite of them to let the others know this flower is "empty":) And I see Lisa mentioned Dumbledore in Harry Potter; interesting name for a bee.
I love your wisteria!
I didn't know! That bees left a signature scent or that Dumbledore was the English name for bumblebee! Nor did I know that arching vining plants were a good nesting site for birds! I knew I wanted an arch! I hope you have a sweet weekend. gail
Cheryl, I thought sure, I had already left a comment...the mind must be going faster than I thought. :) Your wisteria is gotgeous! It is one of my all time favorite plants. Mine is just staring to put on tiny buds, so will be a couple of weeks before it blooms.
You know so much about bees! I often wondered why some bees went near a flower, but didn't land on it. Smart aren't they!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend in your lovely gardens.
I am sure he is, Cheryl. Just as you are passing down your love of gardening and bees to your little grandchildren. You paint a beautiful picture with words. I can just see you as a small child watching the bees in your grandparents garden.
Thank you for all the information regarding bees. I didn't know they had smelly feet. Or no ears. Intriguing!
Dear Rose......I am glad that you feel that connection with your grandmother whilst in your gardens. I find it very moving.....sometimes my eyes fill with tears....perhaps I am just emotional but it is a beautiful feeling....
I love the wisteria to.....it was just a whip when we moved here......lying across the drive...totally neglected. Mr P put up the arches and hey presto beautiful feature...
Have a good weekend Rose.....
Thank you Gail, you are so kind.....
Bees are very smart Beckie. More than we realise......that one action, scenting the flower, saves the other bees, that visit, such a lot of time......
I love wisteria to.....the fragrance is wonderful, is it not?
Have a wonderful weekend.......
Thank you Wendy.....what a lovely comment....
It is strange the things that take us back to our grandparents.....most of mine come from time spent in the garden.....
Glad you are safely home and hope you had a wonderful time.....
Dear Cheryl - a lovely posting and no I didn't know that Bees have smelly feet - nature is just amazing... reading the last part brought a tear to my eyes... I often think the same thing... my Mum's mother shared a lot of her love of gardening with me and I often wish I could walk her round our own garden and show all that we've done as I know she'd love it - I always remember going to stay with her and she'd always walk us round and show us everthing that she'd been doing and what had changed... I find myself doing this with my own parents - scary! Anyway - have a lovely weekend before the rain arrives next week - well it looks like it is due here at any rate...
Mx
Beautiful Cheryl..Your garden is sheer pleasure..
Hope he weathers treating you all well;)
Have a lovely weekend:)♥
Well isn't that interesting information? Bees with smelly feet! I can't wait to tell someone this, someone who doesn't know it anyway. A funny little anecdote. I too love bees. Never been scared of them.
Brenda
http://viewfromthepines.com
http://cozylittlehouse.blogspot.com
I have seen several bumble bees today and have no idea how you get such good pictures of them! Your flowers are so lovely. Very interesting post.
Hi dear Cheryl,
I guess the smelly feet thing explains why you can watch a bee start to stop at nectar and then leave quickly to find another?
All the bees and buzzing critters are so fascinating to watch and listen to these days... so very much activity in the spring garden.
I can almost smell your wisteria from here... it is lovely.
So wonderful your grandparents played such an active role in your young life. What a blessing to have such fine memories.
Meems @ Hoe and Shovel
Lovely little Bombus with feet perfumed of Wisteria and Clematis! How I wish I could get a photo of them like you can, Cheryl. They are amazing little creatures.
My wisteria sadly hasn't flowered this year.
But aquilegia is a great flower to atract bees to my garden and I see also to yours.
I jotted down the name of geranium from your last post. Any ideas where to look for it?
Have you been to new vegetable garden in Sissinghurst Castle?
cheryl,
my grandparents had a feed room with the tack for the horses in there. i loved the way that room smelled...leather...grain...burlap sacks.
it all comes flooding back in an instant when i smell those things.
That was so cute to know. God is amazing how He created the details in every creature!
I was really scared of bees as a child, having been stung many times when I thought I was minding my business. But now I just think that they are an amazing group of animals. Now, yellow jackets and hornets - still a little scared of them.
Hi Zvrk.....you can buy the geranium at The Potted Garden Bearstead........they sell many native wildflowers......
I expect most garden centres would get it for you.....
If your wisteria is waterlogged they sometimes do not flower.....also the pruning is critical, but I expect you know that.....
Is the vegetable garden worth visiting at Sissinghurst??
Hi Marmee thank you for sharing that lovely story.....
Post a Comment