Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Revery


I know some people hate bees...and clover, but I love both!



We hadn't seen very many bees yet this year, though we have been very accommodating in not mowing all the clover that blankets our yard until it's knee high to a possum or we can't see the dogs! ;)  Then on Saturday, the bees finally arrived, and by the looks of the little lady above, they've been very busy while we weren't looking.  Check out those pollen saddlebags!!!...she is bringing home the proverbial flower bacon!




I have to say that both Mr. Tide's and my heart skipped a beat when we saw this lovely honey bee, and some of her brethren.  We have been worried about hive collapse and all the issues that seem to be challenging one of the most important creatures on our planet, and not seeing any this year had us wringing our hands a bit.

Did you know that some of the new hybridized flowers either don't produce much pollen, or that their necks are so long that pollinators such as honey bees can't access their pollen?!  Did you also know that all worker bees are female?

But as if to say..."thanks for not mowing the clover or killing the weeds and flowers we love with chemicals,"...these sweet bees gave us their nod of approval.  Thankfully, we won't have to rely on the revery as Emily Dickinson suggests, and the bees will find a way to overcome our notion that manicured, weedless, and flowerless are signs of a beautiful yard!


“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,
One clover, and a bee,
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few.” 
― Emily DickinsonThe Complete Poems

10 comments:

  1. We had so many wildflowers this Spring here in Florida. I've never seen so many...even some red clover. Lots of bees and butterflies and I love trying to photograph them all. It's a challenge though....and you are the expert! Enjoy your week! Hugs!

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  2. What amazing photos, Kat...wonderful to see such close ups!

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  3. Thank you for giving me photo of enjoyment! Your blogs are interesting, beautiful and exciting. inspiring-garden

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  4. Beautiful close-ups... I do love bees and I've seen many bumblebees on red clover this year.

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  5. Lovely images! ...and I love them too. They are also SOOO NECESSARY!

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  6. We have permitted our clover to grow and flourish, but still no bees!:-( Such a sad state here. Our food supply depends on bees!

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  7. I've caught up on your posts finally! It sounds like you have some beautiful roses surrounding you, I would have my vases full all the time, too! Actually, I'm happy my three made it through this winter. And cosmos! My favorite. I planted seeds about 3 weeks ago and they are about ten inches tall already. And thank you for enlightening us on the pollen/bee situation (beautiful pictures). Very interesting. I remember our neighborhood when I was growing up having clover everywhere. We were surrounded by Illinois prairie and I'm just guessing that we did weeding the old fashioned way, by hand! And we learned to keep our shoes on when we ran through the yard, ouch!

    Yes, I am settling in. Started some much needed work in the garden yesterday and woke up to rain. I'm hoping for a break so I can get out again!

    XO,
    Jane

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  8. Your photos are always so gorgeous in quality and subject…. I love bees too!

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  9. Loved this Kat! I always love working among the bees. Their humming around me lowers my blood pressure I think because I instantly feel calmed knowing that I am sharing my space with them...or is it the other way around ? My riverbank grapes that grow on a couple of the arbors are in bloom now and nothing makes the bees happier. Today I I walked through one of them I was surprised at the noise. It was like they were having a party or something. I loved the facts about the bees---I'm ashamed to say that I know very little about honeybees and my mom was a beekeeper! She always kept a hive even though my brother was severely allergic. We used to tease her that she loved them more than him, because he made more than one trip to the hospital with a bad reaction to a sting before the shot was available for home use : )
    I loved catching up on the posts I have missed here since my last visit. I can't tell you how much I am inspired by your beautiful photography!
    I have a thing for shoes AND for flowers, but I haven't found anything in my family history that proves I come by it naturally-BUT I have passed it on to at least one of my daughters :O
    Have a great Sunday my friend!

    sending hugs from here...

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  10. Just popping around the Net tonight and found this - I LOVE it! We just planted our entire yard with white flower and red flower clover and it is beautiful. It is so healthy for the soil and like you said, the bees love it. I just harvested some lavender this evening from my garden and while snipping the stems, I had several honey bees buzzing around me in the lavender. They couldn't care less that my hand was right next to them, and I so enjoy watching them work their magic.

    Thanks for sharing. Lots of hugs,
    Elizabeth

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