WHOAAAAAAAAA!!! That's a lot of bumble bees!!!

~ Cat

Did you catch a "buzz'? (I couldn't resist... My past never entirely leaves me!)

MissSherry.....I have them all over my Bog sage....every year...it's humming...they love it! I've had some smaller spring flowers attract a lot of real honeybees this year....but they stick to only the one plant....strange..

I have them on my Sage too. When I go over to look at the dill and fennel to see if anyone has left any "gifts" the buzz they make is so loud you can't help but notice. I think its cool and usually wind up taking a lot of pictures of the bees.

Aggie

Cool bees, MissSherry! The honeybees do not realize their population is supposed to be diminishing here, though. They are all over the lavendar, hollyhocks, catmint, malva, you name it, but mostly the lavendar. The just LOVE that stuff. My one lavendar bush is bigger this year than it's ever been, and I've had it for 5 years now. It is about 6' wide and 4 feet tall. I just planted another one of the same cultivar (L. augustifolia x intermedia 'Provence'). However, I don't have a lot of bumblebees right now. A few, but not as many as I usually see.

Susan

I'm still waiting for my bumblebees!!!!!! I've seen one, ONE! I have seen just a few honeybees. Still waiting for butterflies as well (just cabbage whites here). I'm outside today doing everything I can (weeding, planting, transplanting) and I'm seeing NONE! It's sooooooooo depressing...

Nice MIssSherry! Can I ask you about this plant - how big does it get and how does it take to pruning? Do you have it in a wet area? I just love it.

MsrPaul LOL!

Sandy :)

Sandy, I don't think it gets much bigger than what it is now, about 6'X4' but it makes multiple trunks - the wild ones have a lot of trunks, and mine made a few new ones this past spring. It's one of the easiest plants in the world to root, I mean you stick a piece in wet dirt, and you've got a well rooted plant in about a week! Mine is growing in a low, wet place. The butterflies like to nectar on it, especially tiger swallowtails, and it's an all-round insect magnet. I can't comment about pruning, because I've never done that, but as vigorous as it is, I'm sure you could prune it as much as you want, to whatever shape you want.
MissSherry

I cannot recommend enough that Lavendar (the one I have anyway) is an excellent source of nectar, too, for the honeybees and bumblebees. I have bumblebees, too, but just not a lot yet. I know they'll be here eventually, though.

I sure have high hopes for my buttonbush, MissSherry. It's still kind of small, though, so I don't know if I will get much bloom this year.

Susan

It's one of my more interesting looking bushes, Susan, and the leaves are attractive. I rooted two more to plant in the same area.
I saw my first honeybees a few hours ago - one of them had one of those sacks that carry pollen?nectar? or is it an egg sac? I'm clueless about bees!
MissSherry

Wow- you got me, MissSherry - guess I don't pay THAT much attention to them either. I just notice the bumblebees that p/u too much pollen are are so heavy they can barely fly. They are too funny to watch!

I'll keep my eye on them now. If I have honeybees, though, wouldn't you think that there would be a hive somewhere near by? I don't know how far they fly away from the hive to collect pollen. Guess I need to study up on their habits.

Did you plant your buttonbushes in a boggy area, or just an area that is close and easily accessible for watering? I have mine in a pot, and am thinking about transplanting it to the area by my A/C that is always damp.

Susan

Susan, the area where I planted mine is both soggy and close enough that I can water them easily.
MissSherry

Great picture! I love bumble bee's.

I spoke with a Berkeley entomologist regarding the decline of bee's. He says it's the honey bee's that are suffering from CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder). Honey bee's are not native to the US. Some were imported from Europe and some from China.

Our native bee's are doing just fine.

Edna :-)