Did you know bees can ‘do it’ in the rain?

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Now I don’t by any stretch of the imagination consider myself to be a fair-weather gardener , but in view of today’s weather forecast I had very simple plans to avoid getting soaked and blown-about.

1) Have a quick squint in the garden to make sure everything is ok in the wind
2) To make some rhubarb and orange jam
3) Phone the local college and talk to them about a course to get my City & Guilds in Propagation
4) Have a bit of a catch-up on GoY and start writing a blog about the legend of Ellen Ann Willmott and her bloody Eryngium giganteums
5) Listen to some new music (I sometimes DJ and as I’m going to be playing at a big party in about a month – and I need to get my act together) … it’s ok though, I’m listening to music whilst I’m writing this and if anyone’s interested I’ve found at least one new tune; Changes (ATFC’s Schizophrenic Instrumental Remix) by Dirty Vegas. As if any of you really wanted to know that.
6) Do some invoices and calls and stuff. Or, to put it another way, do some actual work
7) House work and get food on the table for about 7 o’clock tonight (Mrs V needs the kitchen to make a cake for a raffle prize when she gets home from work).
8) Charge the camera battery (it’s a bit low)

Now reading back across the to-do list, to me I sound like a madman or a Middle-English Semi-Retired Housewife who DJs at the weekend … randomness.

Armed with a coffee and a fag I set forth into the garden having noticed from our bedroom window that our runner bean frame was wobbling in the wind. As I always seem to take our camera into the garden with me these days, I pop to the shed (to kill two-birds with one stone) grab some tough string a couple of tent pegs and leave the camera safe on the shelf out of the weather. I tether the bean frame securely with the ever-useful bits of string and go for a wander to check for any problems and to give the re-secured bean frame a bit of time in the wind to make sure it will actually stay up!

Nothing too much to worry about in the garden, everything appears to be flexing well in the wind. I’m pleased that I poplared the Buddleia in March; the fresh stems weren’t snapping in the strong gusts like they were last year.

The drumstick alliums seemed to be a bit droopy because of the rain and wind so I pop back to the shed to get my camera and take a picture of aforementioned Alliums as an aide-de-memoire for colour (if they happen to get beaten down by the weather). I want to move these bulbs and plant more in and around a back of border low Lavender hedge (probably “Shaw’s”) along with some Verbena bonariensis; hopefully creating a misty purple bee friendly high-summer boundary that the buddleia can droop into from the right. Another plan for next year!

I’m kneeling there on the damp grass trying for the best shot I can get of the wind bounced and droopy Alliums, when, over the wind I hear a terrifying hum. Just for a second, I thought “HORNET” as my bonce was used to ricochet a BIG black and orange buzzy thing onto the wet (what’s left of it) lawn next to me.

I leapt up pretty sharpish I can tell you then glanced down. With relief it was just a couple of bees in a life a death struggle. With hindsight, my reaction was a bit slow on the uptake; like a small child in the park as one dog mounts another “Mummy, why’s that dog getting a piggy-back ride”.

I almost got a properly focused shot before they were off again into the laurel hedge, or should that be off and at it again in the laurel hedge. I was so shocked and appalled I just had to take another snap of the disgraceful display for the album. It was like the scene in Carry on … Doctor, when Kenneth Williams is trying to seduce dear Hattie Jacques … certainly dimensions wise, Hattie: “I want to be wooed” Kenneth: “You can be as wooed as you like with me!”

I didn’t notice until just now the offended look of the little green caterpillar towards the bottom left of the picture. I’m sorry you had to see that, mate.

Joking aside, I’m pleased that the bees like it enough in the garden to breed.

Moving swiftly on. I took another couple of snaps. It was nice to see another morning glory had opened most likely to never get pollinated in the rain and wind … unless of course the bees were going to be a bit peckish later.

The rain drops or the bloom pigment changing in this fading bloom closing-up shop had given the flower such an almost trippy ultra-violet blotching effect. I’m glad the camera caught it. My old Olympus C-760 has a bit of trouble in deep blues and purples.

Sadly my camera battery failed (remember task 8) after taking a couple of snaps of Mrs V’s fantastic planted chimney pot. So, it’s time I started back on that list, having done 1, 5, 8 and a bit of 4.

Time marches on and there’s jam to be made so if you’ll excuse me I’m going to turn off this dance music and listen to last week’s Gardeners’ Question Time (I love my iPod) – and away to the kitchen to boil an orange!

Mr V

• 15 Jul, 2010
• 4 likes

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