This one little bee was buzzing about by herself and the phrase "bee in her bonnet" came to mind. The phrase is quite old with an early version first written in 1513. There are a number of meanings assigned to the phrase. One definition says it refers to "a state of agitation". Another is "an idea which is fixed in one's mind".
The second definition would certainly apply when it comes to my garden this spring. After two years of drought and three years of planning, we've been busy as a bee trying to finish several big projects before the heat of summer sets in. The garden has been on my mind a lot these last few weeks.
The bee apparently gets a little help from the flowers, which provide color-coded signals telling the bee which ones to visit. A Bluebonnet is made up of many individual flowers on each stalk and each flower needs to be pollinated to form a seed pod. When the young flower is ready to be pollinated, the center is white, the color which attracts bees most. As the centers turn pink and finally red with age, the bees tend to ignore them.
It's believed this encourages bees to visit flowers that have more viable pollen since the bees prefer the white centers.
Guess you could say I have a bee in my bonnet since there is a lot to do in the garden this spring.
I love bee info. I find them endlessly fascinating. I did not know that about Bluebonnets either. Changing color with age, nature is always surprising.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by Donna!
DeleteGorgeous pictures. I've spotted a ton of bees buzzing around my Spanish Lavender that was just planted. Such welcomed visitors to my garden:)
ReplyDeleteI saw your Spanish lavender in today's post and it looks great!
DeleteYour previous post about the bluebonnets got me interested in trying them again, but now you've got me hooked. My old packet of seed is long gone, but I've found a seed supplier, so I'll be placing an order today. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you found the seeds. I'll look for the pictures of them blooming.
DeleteWe scuff the seeds and soak overnight before planting because they are roughed up by weather and rocks in their natural settings.
Beautiful photos of the bluebonnets...and, the bee.
ReplyDeleteI always understood the 'bee in her bonnet' to mean someone was upset about something. My mother used it a lot....'Well...she's got a real bee in her bonnet, about something.' Memories....
We've had a lot of bees around here already. They love yellow, too. I guess that's why so many vegetable flowers are yellow.
Happy Spring....
Happy Spring Linda!
DeleteIn researching this I did think of how many flowers have cream or yellow centers even if the petals are bright colors.
I have seen the white in bluebonnets, but never knew it turned pink then red, and that it was a signal to the bees. Truly amazing. That's one happy bee!
ReplyDeleteMy goal was to discover why some centers are red and others white. I hadn't really noticed the pink ones. Once I understood why then I could capture it in a single photo to show the whole progression.
DeleteThis year has been a real treat for me with the bees and wildflowers. Beautiful shots you have there of the little guy. So a pesticide may be the link to the disappearance of bees.....I hope they find out soon. Arizona seems unaffected but I know most of the country has the issue. I'm hoping that there is a solution for these important pollinators.
ReplyDeleteIt is a mystery, but they are beginning to return. The drought probably delayed the rebuilding of the colonies also.
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