Wednesday 29 February 2012

Sunshine and a sleepy bee.

 The sun shone from dawn until dusk.    These are warm February days.
 Winter aconite was introduced as a garden plant before 1600 and escaped into the wild.      A lover of damp woodland, they suit this garden well.
Little bee spent an hour in one bloom and eventually fell asleep inside the flower.    We are expecting a frost tonight.   I covered the plant with a cloche.    Not to protect it, to keep the bee snug and warm until morning :0)  

20 comments:

  1. I didn't know bees slept in flowers. Good luck little bee!
    Dan
    -x-
    PS. Love the first photo!

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    1. Hi Dan,

      I have found many a bee that has fallen asleep inside a bloom. In summer I would leave it alone but during the winter, if it is cold I always protect it overnight.

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  2. That first picture is just brilliant, Cheryl! I do love yellow flowers, those arconite are gorgeous!How sweet covering the flower until morning, to keep the little sleeping bee warm all nite xxxx Awwwww sounds like something I would do:) big hugs to you! xx

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    1. Hi Comfrey Cottages

      Tku I love my orb. It is lovely when the sun shines on it....

      I love bees. If I can do any one thing to help them I would without any hesitation.

      Bless the bees....

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  3. You know you're amongst friends when protecting a sleeping bee is "normal" :} This afternoon I cut back some bramble that has crept in from next door, there was a hibernating ladybird on one of the leaves. I tucked the leaf and bug deep into another plant to protect it . . . like I said, normal!

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    1. Hi Bilbo,

      That is good to know. I have always helped insects....it makes me cringe when people stamp on them....I just cannot bear it.

      Well done with ladybird, she will repay you ten fold.....

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  4. It was a beautiful last day of February here too. I was outside all day. The bees were buzzing. Birds were busy. Love this weather.

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    1. Hi Lisa,

      These days are so very beautiful. I have a feeling that the worst of the weather is not over yet!!

      Enjoy them while we can :)

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  5. Brilliant captures - these golden slumbers

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    1. Hi Laura.

      Sometimes, just sometimes,I wish I could be a bee for a day :)

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  6. Hi Cheryl,
    How beautiful. I imagine that little bee, quite drunk on pollen, falling fast asleep in her flower.
    I have just visited my parents and they have a bed strewn with winter aconite and crocuses, it looked so cheerful and spring like, even when the weather was misty there.
    Take good care xx

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    1. Hi Lucinda,

      Yes, I do believe she was drunk on pollen. Aconites are the perfect bloom to sleep in, if you are a bee, because they close as the sun sets, keeping the little bee snug and warm.

      Lovely combination aconite and crocuses. I have mine planted with anemone blanda and I just love it.

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  7. Ah, little bee must have appreciated his nice warm shelter for the night. Soon, hopefully, it will be warm enough that you won't have to worry about them as much. It's been very warm here, but also stormy at times, so I hope any bees about find a refuge from the wind. Thankfully, though, we were spared the awful tornadoes that hit further south and west of us a few days ago.

    Hope you have a great weekend, Cheryl!

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    1. Hi Rose,

      Glad the tournadoes missed your area. They look so frightening....

      I am sure the little bee would have been warm enough in the little bloom, but I just felt happier giving him extra protection from the frost. He did fly away the next morning.

      Have a lovely weekend.

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  8. Beautiful photos.. that little bee came to the right garden! We had a big sleepy bee in the house this afternoon .. not a bumble, I'll have to look it up. I think it was dosy and confused, once I'd turned the light off it was sitting on and opened the front door it eventually headed back out into the great beyond, but not before walking up and down the top of the door for quite a while rubbing its back legs together. Wish I knew what this all meant, and thought of you x

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    1. Hi Hedgewitch,,

      I wonder what species the bee was.
      I do know that honey bees sometimes rub their back legs together when they have mites, as the bee was confused perhaps it was unwell.

      There seem to be a lot of bees around at the moment.
      That will probably change as the cold spell approaches :(

      Have a lovely weekend.

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  9. How kind of you. Let's hope it helped the sleepy bee.
    It's very windy and cloudy here today but for now the snow is gone.

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    1. Hi Heidrun,

      Glad to hear the snow has gone and hope that Spring will soon be on the way :)

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  10. Awww, what a sweet little bee. It looks like something out of a fairy tale! Thank you for the interesting bit of history behind the yellow aconites. They would have done well in my back yard. Too late....

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  11. Hugs to my friend of the bees!
    Sherry, who dances with butterflies and sings with the bees.

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