How Many Bees Are There?

As the hostas bloom, I start to look at the bees that are collecting nectar.  I want to cut the hosta flowers because they don't match my colour scheme.  However, there are so many bees that I give in and only cut the most straggly flowers. These bees are on wisteria - if only a hosta could be this beautiful.  These look like bumble bees to me - I don't really know how to identify bees.  Like most people I take them for granted.  I find out there are fifty species of bumble bees in North America.  They live in colonies, headed by a queen who is the main egg-layer.  I found a site where a bee had been identified - pink 38 - and her movements tracked for a summer. Solitary bees make up the largest percent of the bee population.  I have a solitary bee house that needs to get up - their nests are in hollow reeds or twigs, so it is an easy nest to make.   There are 20,000 different species of bees in the world, and there are 6.5 billion bees - I guess we will have to share as there are over 7 billion people - so less than a bee for every person.  Plant some hostas and you will get more than your fair share.

Garden Edits on a Theme

Hostas multiply.  The front garden was too full of plants so had some editing and a 'truck load' went away last week. They took a stylish trip to their new home in Grimsby. On to Kale - the magic vegetable in the second picture.  This one is at the Celtic Garden in Vinemount - a garden of natural willow sculptures and hostas. Did you know that kale is called 'the new beef'. There's a variety of Kale named Black Magic - sounds like  something for my front garden as its theme is Magic and Mystery.  The theme got started with: - Arisaema (tropical Jack in the Pulpits) - both Green Godess and Corbra (that's the stinky one) - my version of a Fairy Garden - toad and mushrooms sculptures. - Chocolate-coloured plants contrasting with Chartreuse Any ideas you have for creating magic and mystery - send them along!

The Potting Shed in Dunnville

I got to the Potting Shed in Dunnville just over a week ago and saw the day lilies in bloom.  Jack Kent is a remarkable hybridizer and has developed some beautiful new hybrids which are displayed nicely in gardens throughout the property and in growing houses.  Besides the gorgeous day lilies, there are a lot of hostas to choose from.  Of course, the Red Barn is the distinctive structure on the property and it is surrounded by pretty buildings that house goats and peacocks.

It's a great drive in the Niagara countryside and always wonderful to bring something distinctive back for the garden.

My Hosta Fantasy

l cut off most of the hosta flowers along the front garden this year.  With the mass showing, the weakness in their colour and uprightness is glaring.  By weakness in colour, I mean the light lavender colour.  It seems to take away from the green shades that contrast and complement each other.  In addition to that I have intense orange begonias and coleus to complement the colour of the front door and the yellow bricks.  As white would do wonderfully, perhaps I'll concentrate on some more Royal Standard Hostas for a nice end of season show.  And they have a beautiful fragrance, too.

So today, I worked a little in photoshop and turned the hosta in the foreground of this beautiful rural garden in Grimsby to a more pleasing shade.  I would like to try out a Crocosmia orange, but didn't manage to get photoshop to get to that colour.  If anyone knows the technique, I would appreciate a comment or a link.

Here's that lovely winding path with the pergola destination.

Hosta Season

It's not just Niagara gardens that have an abundant showing of hostas. In Niagara, though, I have found that the hostas in the garden have doubled in size over the last year and a half.  I now need to move some out of the large front hosta display bed. These leaves make beautiful garden images in every season.  Here are two examples.