Sunday, August 4, 2013

Wild and Cultivated

Bee on bull thistle

On a Saturday (yesterday) walk I saw many bull thistles in bloom. Bees were fighting over the rights to harvest pollen produced by this blossom.

 Blooming in my gardens

We've had tons of rain this year so my gardens are looking alive and well...and, sadly, a bit weedy. Here's a sampling of what's blooming right now:

Hydrangea with digger wasps (What big eyes he has!),  rose of Sharon (a shrub), campanula (a short stemmed clumping variety), a fancy coneflower that's supposed to be the variety called "Doppleganger" but it appears to have forgotten to "dopple"  (a second blossom is supposed to bloom out of the center of the one shown here), a fringed poppy (an annual that seeds freely in my gardens), and  a cranesbill geranium called Rozeanne that blooms all season.

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

32 comments:

  1. Gorgeously colouful close ups!

    ReplyDelete
  2. neat close-ups! i enjoy those blooms. so colorful. ( :

    ReplyDelete
  3. they are ALL my favorites today.. BEEutiful BEES... awesome flowers

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are all wonderful, as usual. Really love that first shot.

    I told Roger, it is so tempting to 'grow' thistle. I am afraid it would be a big mistake though! Yet I do think it is soooo pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love all the blooms, and the bee shot!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Excellent. Your close-ups are fantastic. MB

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, the first image is gorgeous. Lovely flowers and photos! Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bull thistles are among my favorites.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The collage is awesome, I love the colors and your pictures are always perfect!WEll done!
    Léia

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice shots- love the pink hues on the bull thistle.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'll gladly take the rain anyday:) Those blooms are fabu!

    ReplyDelete
  12. These are just beautiful!!
    What a fantastic macro the first one is.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The first shot wowed me. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful flowers. Too bad the weeds grow as fast or faster than the desired flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am always awed by your photos, but more awed by the detailed ones. It looks like it could be a dangerous hobby

    ReplyDelete
  16. You have some great flowers...and wonderful bees! Wish I had a red poppy! There were some beautiful ones where I worked many years ago and I tried to propagate the seed but was unsuccessful.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great image of the bee in the thistle!!!I captured some bees in the chicory yesterday, and am hoping the turn out well.

    ReplyDelete
  18. One must keep bees busy. Busy bees bother less and barely buzz or sting!

    Re your question: The windmill doth blow and turn and everything.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautiful bright blooms, and terrific macros of the wasp and bee! We have had ton of bees around here too!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Just found your blog. I love seeing the work of other photographers and you've got some great shots. I just posted a very similar photo of a bee and thistle. You can see it HERE. I will visit you again, and invite you to visit me!

    ReplyDelete
  21. These are beautiful! I always like the wide variety of bugs and birds that are attracted to the bull thistles.

    ReplyDelete
  22. So beautiful. And flower shots are always great when they include bugs and bees.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I will have to go check on the thistle..I know the goldfinch need the down for nesting..Lovely nature Tina..Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  24. so colourful in your garden made for lovely images

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world. I hope you enjoyed your stay here. Please leave a comment before you leave so I can visit your blog.