Love, Joy and Peas: Search results for bee

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Friday, August 1, 2014

Busy Bees on Beautiful Blooms: Zinnia, Golden Sundrop & 3 Kinds of Echinacea

Happy floral Friday! Welcome to my weekly "This week in my Maryland garden" feature! While reviewing this week's photos, I noticed a theme and thought you might enjoy these close up photos of bees on the blooms. The echinacea (coneflower) seem to be particularly attractive to the bees.

But the zinnias and marigolds draw their fair share too. The zinnia in the photo above looks red but it's actually pink.

I think this is our third year having yellow echinacea. The moth is easier to see in the photo above but the bee is busy digging for pollen at the top of the middle coneflower.

Years ago we had golden sundrops and they flourished until the rabbits discovered how tasty their leaves were. This spring I planted six new ones in an area that I don't often see rabbits. Hopefully they'll remain rabbit free and we and the bees can enjoy their pretty flowers for years to come.

This magenta coneflower doesn't look much different from the regular purple echinacea (top photo in this post) but it's color is much more vivid in person and I love it.

Hope you enjoyed this week's mini photo tour of my Maryland garden! May God bless you!

Related posts:
Little bees, big flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/06/little-bees-and-big-flowers-this-week.html
Fighting bees on sunflowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/bees-fighting-over-sunflower-photo.html
Heat beating flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/07/heat-beating-flower-photos-this-week-in.html
Autumn bee and flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/10/autumn-maryland-garden-flower-photos.html

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Dogs and Bees at the U.S. National Arboretum

Happy wild Wednesday! Earlier this month I enjoyed a walk in the U.S. National Arboretum and saw these cute bees and dogs. I hope the photos make you smile.

I wanted to pet this cute little dog and ask its human what breed he was but they walked in the other direction before I got the chance (I used my zoom to get the photo).

This bee was parked on top of two pretty, mostly red, bicolor marigolds.

And this adorable dog was keeping watch while her humans slept. I love how she's got one ear up.

These bees were really fun to photograph so I had to include one more image.

That's all for this week's wild Wednesday feature. Which was your favorite photo from today's post? Do you have a favorite dog or bee memory to share? I'd love to hear it! May God bless you!

Related posts:
Cute skirted dog: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/03/cherry-blossom-dog.html
Cute bunnies: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/09/cute-yard-bunny-photos-for-wild.html
Bentley the dog: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/04/pictures-of-bentley-my-new-dog-friend.html

Friday, October 3, 2014

Neat Flowers, Bees and Sun Effects

Happy floral Friday and welcome to "this week in my Maryland garden!" While not technically the best photos I've ever taken, I thought each of this week's flower photos was neat for one reason or another. The yellow and white bicolor dahlia above has fun coloring from the afternoon sun (I took these just before sunset yesterday evening). Without the sun it almost looks like an all white dahlia.

In this photo my happy making effect was being able to see the bee's eyes so clearly. We only have a few marigolds still blooming and two are the bicolor French marigolds that I started from seed. The bee is enjoying one of those.

My wonderful husband bought me this new red echinacea (also known as coneflower). I love how bright the flowers are and while there aren't any bees on it in the photo they have been all over it since planting.

I love how the sunbeam lights up the bee's wings and furry parts in this photo of it on a burgundy dahlia flower.

And, just because I tend to put five photos in each blog post, here's a pretty petunia. It's been blooming steadily since I bought it this spring. I love the particular shade of pink on this flower as well as the white middle and chartreuse/yellow center with veining.

How are your flowers holding up now that we're officially in autumn? Are the leaves changing where you are? They've started here but just a little bit. Thank you for visiting! I hope you have a fantastic autumn! May God bless you!

Related posts:
Sparking chrysanthemums: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/09/sparkling-chrysanthemums-dahlias-zinnia.html
Autumn blessing and flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/09/happy-autumn-blessing.html
National Arboretum fall foliage: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/11/fall-foliage-at-us-national-arboretum.html
Fall foliage and capitol columns: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/11/fall-foliage-and-capitol-columns-photos.html

Friday, June 13, 2014

Little Bees and Big Flowers: This Week in My Maryland Garden

Happy floral Friday! This week in my Maryland garden features six flower photos and three have little bees in them. The big echinacea above is the same one featured last week, but with its petals wide open. What a difference a week makes!

This is my very first yellow primrose bloom, courtesy of my friend Mary (thank you, Mary!). Can you see the little bee on it's petal?

I love raindrops on roses. The glistening petals seem to beg for a photograph.

My red coreopsis started blooming this week and the bees have already found it.

The bees also love our pink spirea, which also started blooming this week.

And our Shasta daisies also started blooming this week. It's definitely a great week for first blooms of 2014. Thank you for this mini tour of my Maryland garden! May the God who created all the beautiful flowers bless and keep you!

Related posts:
Last week in my garden: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/06/day-lily-primrose-echinacea-petunia-and.html
Bees, butterflies, birds and flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/09/flowers-bees-butterflies-and-birds.html
Bees and sunflowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/bees-fighting-over-sunflower-photo.html
Bees and bright flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-butterfly-bee-and-bunch-of-beautiful.html
Mary's garden: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/05/marys-amazing-garden-retreat.html

Friday, August 29, 2014

Dew Drops, Bees and Pretty Flowers

Happy floral Friday and welcome to "this week in my Maryland garden!" Today's post includes flower photos from two different sessions. One in the cool of the morning while the flowers were still drenched in dew and one in the heat of the afternoon with bright sun and buzzing bees.

It amazes me that the evening primroses do so well because my husband's always pulling them out but I'm glad they are tough because I enjoy their delicate pink and white flowers.

I loved how the bee tipped up the petal of this red coreopsis flower so we can see the pretty underside, which is more of a creamy yellow with red striping.

And this bee enjoyed buzzing from coneflower to coneflower.

I thought this was my most artistic flower photo of the week but I'm not sure whether I like this super close up rose photo or the dewdrop rose photo better. Which do you prefer?

Praise the Lord for creating such beautiful flowers and creatures! May He bless and keep you!

Related posts:
Raindrops and roses: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/raindrop-drenched-rose-cosmos.html
Raindrops and flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/08/chrysanthemum-obedient-plant-tithonia.html
Shiny wet flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/06/zinnia-vinca-coreopsis-geranium-and.html

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Sunflowers and Bees at McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area

Happy wild Wednesday! I hope you enjoy my bee and sunflower photos from McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area. Today was my second ever visit but I hope to return again.

I thought this bee in flight over the sunflower field was neat.

Some people bring ladders, chairs and stools but I just did the best I could with what God gave me.

It really is amazing to see so many sunflowers with bees buzzing about happily.

I feel blessed to have been able to enjoy such a beautiful experience. God is good!

Thank you for visiting! May God bless and keep you!

Related posts:
Battling bees and sunflowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/bees-fighting-over-sunflower-photo.html
Teddy bear sunflower: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/teddy-bear-sunflower-black-eyed-susan.html
Sunflower and more: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/06/sunflower-day-lilies-vinca-and-mystery.html

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Bees Fighting Over Sunflower Photo Series With Neat Motion Picture

Today at the U.S. National Arboretum I enjoyed watching these bees fight over this sunflower. What I didn't know when I loaded these photos is that Google's magic will make a motion picture out of such a series. It's the last photo and I hope the motion shows for you as it did for me. I was really tickled by this newly discovered feature.

Above you can see a bee coming in to attack the one already on the sunflower.

Above you can see a bee planning a sneak attack from the top left quadrant of the sunflower.

Another bee on bee dive bomb attack in the making.

In this final regular photo, the bees are sharing the sunflower (I love a happy ending). This last photo I adjusted so you could see the two bees (barely) in the bottom left quadrant of the middle part of the sunflower. The first four were untouched.

And, lastly, here's the magic motion picture. Isn't that neat?

I thank God for the many blessings in my life, which include my wonderful husband, the abilities He's blessed me with (walking, seeing, photography and so much more!), beautiful flowers, and your kind support. May God bless you and keep you!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Bees and Butterflies on Butterfly Bushes

Happy wild Wednesday! Butterfly bushes really do attract butterflies (and bees too).

The butterflies and bees don't seem to be picky about the flower color.

Or whether the flowers are in sun or shade.

But they do seem to have a preference for the newer blooms.

Maybe the nectar is sweeter on the younger flowers? I don't know. But I love seeing the bushes filled with bees and butterflies. There was also a monarch butterfly on the bushes but it was too fast and skittish for me to capture with my camera.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you and our dwindling bee and butterfly populations!

Related posts:
Cute critters on flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/06/cute-critters-on-flowers.html
Brookside butterflies: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/08/brookside-gardens-wings-of-fancy.html
Butterfly blessings: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/01/happy-new-year-blessings-butterflies.html

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Flowers from Missy's Gardens

On Thursday I shared some overview photos of my friend Missy's marvelous gardens. Today I want to share some close up photos of her beautiful flowers. My bee balm isn't even blooming yet but hers is full of beautiful pink flowers.

Missy had at least five different kinds of phlox but this pink and white phlox was my favorite.

I also loved her flowering strawberry plants. The bees did too (if you look closely in the flower above there's a bee in the center of the most prominent flower).

Neither one of us knew what this foliage plant was called but it sure is pretty.

Missy's purple widow's tears flowers had bright chartreuse foliage and provided nice contrast to the darker green foliage surrounding it.

Thank you so much for sharing your garden, dear Missy! May God bless Missy and may He bless you too!

Related posts:
Missy's fall flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/10/chrysanthemum-rose-and-butterfly-plant.html
Missy's garden photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/06/missys-marvelous-gardens.html
Flower macro photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/05/dahlias-ranunculus-azaleas-lilacs-and.html
Close up flower photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/07/zinnias-roses-joe-pye-weed-day-lilies.html
Rainy day flower photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/05/rainy-day-flowers-this-week-in-my.html

Friday, June 17, 2016

Bee Balm, Sedum, Sunset Dahlia, Coreopsis, and Pansy Flowers

Happy floral Friday and welcome to "this week in my Maryland garden!" The pretty bee balm above started blooming this week. It's a miraculous survivor. Kind neighbors gave it to me three years ago. It bloomed just a tiny bit before something ate it down to the ground. Then last year a well meaning helper thought it was a weed and did his best to kill it. What little remained was eaten down to the ground. This year the foliage looks fantastic and the flowers are robust. Hopefully whatever ate it in previous years has moved on.

This yellow sedum is frommy kind friend Mary. Last year she let me take three tip cuttings from her beautiful plants and, by God's grace, they rooted and spread and now I have a little group of these beautiful plants. Hopefully they'll continue to spread and flower each year.

I thought the sunset dahlia had died but there's one nice flower on it and some buds forming.

The red coreopsis started blooming this week (that's a pink dahlia in the background) and they have made a few babies. Surprisingly, the babies have yellow flowers.

I found this tiny volunteer pansy plant hiding behind a bigger plant. I guess the shade from the large plant is keeping it alive despite the heat. I consider that another plant miracle.

In addition to what was already mentioned, our golden sundrops, lavender, butterfly bush (lavender and black knight) and snow on the mountain also started blooming this week. It's a fun time in my Maryland garden. Thank you to my kind friends and neighbors who share their garden abundance and thank you for visiting! May God bless them and you!

Related posts:
Mary's garden retreat: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/05/marys-amazing-garden-retreat.html
Little bees, big flowers: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/06/little-bees-and-big-flowers-this-week.html
Missy's amazing garden: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/06/missys-marvelous-gardens.html