We had lunch in the garden today and were so aware of the continuous buzzing all over the garden so I set out with my camera to attempt, on a very windy day, to capture the bees on various wind-blown plants. Some of the photos, plants and/or bees, are a bit fuzzy. It is very heartening to find our plantings attracting so many pollinators.
On the French Lavender
Dozens on the Crinodendron
On the Lamb’s Ears
On the Cotoneaster
On the Mexican Fleabane
On the Thyme
On the Rosemary
On the Raspberries.
On the Broad Beans
I would love to be able to identify each of these bees, especially after hearing on the radio this morning that we have at least 150 different kinds of bees in the UK! I shall make a start….. Try here if you want to play along https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bee-count/great-british-bee-count-bee-identification-guide
The next photo is of a creature I do not know but which is very beautiful. The last time I posted a photo of a beautiful creature, a bright red one, I was very quickly told that it was a Lily Beetle and I should ‘dispose’ of it asap! I’m hoping this is a friendly and beneficial little critter.
Beautiful creature on the Mexican Fleabane
If you would like to take part in Six on Saturday, pop over to The Propagator’s blog where, in the comments, you can follow gardeners and their blogs from all over the world
PS I have discovered from the above mentioned site that the creature on the Rosemary isn’t a bee – it’s a Hoverfly.
greenbenchramblings
June 12, 2019 at 7:49 pm
Bees, hoverflies and beetles add so much to the garden, helping us out as pollinators and predators too. But also they add so much extra interest both movement and colours.
Lora Hughes
June 12, 2019 at 6:55 pm
Your garden must be buzzing. I especially like the crinodendron, altho I’m a sucker for a good cotoneaster &yours is perfection.
mybeautfulthings
June 11, 2019 at 8:07 pm
The green beetle is the Thick Legged Flower Beetle! What a prosaic name for such a beauty. I prefer his Latin name, Oedemera Nobilis. 🙂
Heyjude
June 9, 2019 at 4:35 pm
I am now wondering if your red one was a lily beetle and not simply a soldier beetle. This site is good for IDing beetles. http://www.uksafari.com/beetles.htm
mybeautfulthings
June 10, 2019 at 11:38 am
Thank you. I’ll save that as a bookmark. Others warned of the red one being a Lily Beetle too. It didn’t last long and our lilies are thriving after all the raIn. 🙂
Heyjude
June 9, 2019 at 4:33 pm
The green metallic bug is a Oedemera nobilis, also known as the false oil beetle, thick-legged flower beetle or swollen-thighed beetle – only males have this feature. You have a lot of bees and hoverflies in your garden, I am not noticing that many here this year and I have seen several very sluggish bees. Maybe the cold weather isn’t helping them. Today we found a dead bunny in the garden (baby) and a concussed bird that flew into the conservatory windows, since released and one of the sluggish bees which I carried onto the thyme to see if it could revive itself.
mybeautfulthings
June 10, 2019 at 11:40 am
Sorry about the baby bunny and the stunned bird. 🙁 We give sluggish bees a little sugar water and most times it works and they fly on their way. 🙂
Heyjude
June 10, 2019 at 6:07 pm
Yes, my son mentioned sugar water. I will try that next time.
nrhatch
June 9, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Your garden must be 7th heaven for those busy bees. Thanks for identifying the hoverfly. I knew it wasn’t a bee . . .
I love that green metallic beauty. Hope it’s a helpful insect.
janesmudgeegarden
June 9, 2019 at 12:56 pm
Goodness that iridescent green insect with its saddlebags certainly is fascinating.
mybeautfulthings
June 9, 2019 at 6:05 pm
Very dramatic and one we have never seen before. 🙂
Lora Hughes
June 12, 2019 at 6:34 pm
I read this as ‘indecent green insect’ & had a good laugh. Someone else featured this before – was it Gill? – & it certainly is a beauty. Has anyone said if it’s ok to have?
utesmile
June 9, 2019 at 11:11 am
How wonderful that it is so busy in your plants… Great to see!
CadyLuck Leedy
June 8, 2019 at 1:50 pm
Your bees certainly look happy! I put out a bee house this year, very late. So far nothing. My bees must have a happy home elsewhere!
mybeautfulthings
June 8, 2019 at 2:53 pm
We need to get a bee house to encourage them further. 🙂