The highlights in this shot were screaming and maybe I should have toned it down some. Digital cameras are really smart…and they do some amazing things with the light that they have. But sometimes the light’s just so blasty. And while the bee looks great, the white alyssum is just a mess. So…look at the bee and enjoy her.
Tag: Alyssum
In the Ratty Alyssum
This alyssum has been at it for a while. You can see the seed pods to the left and right of that bunch of blossoms that the bee is visiting. Also in the lower right corner. Good shot of the bee and her wings – those veins. This plant is classified as an annual, and it is. But it is a little like a perennial in that it keeps showing up each year – it seeds itself (as evidenced by this shot). It doesn’t wander much, but the color (owing to the bees’ good work) can morph through time.
We generally end up planting a flat or two here and there, but there’s always a great crop of volunteers there and here, too. This one is kind of tricky for bees because sometimes it’s just bare…and on other days it’s pulsing with bees. With some plants, I can kind of tell where in the pollen cycle they are and predict rightly when the bees will be on it. Haven’t really figured this one out – and it’s somewhat strange because each plant – each bunch – usually has so many blossoms that some ought to be throwing pollen. But it seems an all-or-nothing thing for the bees.
Toward the Alyssum
This one is from August of this year. Neat shot of a honey bee heading toward (or away from – hard to tell) the white alyssum. Somewhat rare to see bees on this one. Great groundcover otherwise. It’s an annual, but reseeds in place so if you want it to come back, leave it alone (and let it seed) when it’s finished blooming. (And maybe augment with another flat or two from the nursery now and then.)
The First of Many Quick Hits – Beautiful on the Alyssum
Trying to get out the door to go to the Durango Art Festival (Sat and Sun of this week) so I’m pre-loading a few. Will extend the trip into Arizona to photograph some burros so I’ll be away for a while. So forgive me for little narrative this week. Actually, many of you will like it. I think.
Nice composition on this one. And a great bee!
Late on the Alyssum
Not a great day. Got hit by a hornet on the fist-side, index-finger knuckle of my left hand, and my hand looks/feels like a catcher’s mitt. Plus hard drive crashery…and some other stuff.
SO…alyssum from this morning. Volunteers this year – normally I get a couple of flats of them. Was so windy this morning that the low-slung blossoms were most friendly to both the bees and the camera. So here ‘ya go!
In-flight in the Alyssum
Great shot from a month ago – little one flying to and through the alyssum. Check out her partly-filled pollen basket. Makes me smile.
Multi-color Alyssum
Oh, hey – today (through Sunday), I’ll be in Centennial Colorado at The Highlands Garden Center (8080 S Holly Street). Hours are: Friday from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.; Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. – with a whole bunch of neat pictures of bees, birds, flowers, etc.
Don’t know if I’ve posted too many on the alyssum. Part of the problem is that they don’t rest much on these exceptionally tiny blossoms. They bounce around a lot and that makes shooting tough. Love these plants, though. Once they get started, they don’t stop until a hard frost. They’re only about six inches tall (normally – we’ve got some aberrations in a few spots that have gotten huge) and they make a nice, annual border in some of our gardens. The bees seem pretty fickle about them – tho I do notice more natives on them than honeybees. And that counts for something.
