May 13, 2011

Study in Blue

Gladiator Alliums
Honeybees can't seem to resist anything in the onion family, so a planting of giant alliums is sure to attract them. But what a nice surprise to see the bees carrying blue pollen!

Colorado Blue Spruce
The robins took turns and braved the rain to hunt, so there must be babies in the nest.

Veronica 'Blue Reflection'
This is a great xeriscape groundcover that thrives when mulched with pea gravel.

Another xeriscape essential, bearded iris are favored by native bees.

The last of the pear blossoms on a Colorado Blue Sky Day.
Honeybees consider pear blossom too watery but will take it when necessary. Having just gotten 3.6" of rain (basically 100% of our YTD average), everything else is waterlogged right now, so it's just as well.

Flowers look similar to the ones featured in this month's American Bee Journal.
I have not seen a thing foraging on it, but it's very fragrant so the pollinators have got to know it's all over the neighborhood. Does anyone know what kind of tree this is?

What's Blooming in the 'hood

The lilacs and crabapples are just about done.
Chokecherries are peaking.
Paniculata (PeeGee) hydrangeas have gone kaBOOM! (I've only seen these in white here.)
Mountain Ash trees are just starting.
Groundcovers/Full Sun: creeping phlox, soapwort
In the shade: grape hyacinth & vinca vine
In the potager: asparagus, gooseberries, currants, chives

2 comments:

Solarbeez said...

I've got to add something to your "Study in Blue." It's called Vision Violet. It's a hardy geranium. The kind I saw was a bluish color. The bees were on it for a good two months. i plan to grow some next year.

HB said...

TY @Solarbeez. I was given a purple hardy geranium [cranesbill] by a neighbor. It was beautiful but it succumbed to powdery mildew. I have a white one that is not susceptible to the mildew, and the bees ADORE it. It is called Biokovo.

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