An Alarmist Recants

Phew! After saying the other day that I saw absolutely no honeybees in my garden this year, I spotted some working away on a patch of Jacob's Ladder. Here's the proof.

That's not to say that there were a slew of bees around, but at least there were some. I felt relieved that all was not over immediately for our buzzy pals.

Yes, it was another day out of the studio and into the garden with lots of work to do planting, moving, mulching, weeding and most of all looking. I probably spend 30 or 40 percent of my time in the garden just looking. Mostly I guess I'm assessing how plants are relating to each other and to the whole. The opportunity to just look and study plants was what I most missed when all we had was a front garden in the city with people passing by and nosy neighbors interrupting me.

If I hadn't been looking so closely, I wouldn't have seen the bees in this patch of flowers.

You have to get right in there and watch for movement to see the bees.

On the other hand, I also look at a distance.

White petals from the still-fragrant crabapples looking like snow on the path. And seeing how sunlight comes through the cracks in the fence.

The petals drift down on everything.

The lilacs are still very fragrant too and so abundant.

Here's a dark purple double-flowered bush.

But while looking, I'm also working. Here's my garden tool installation. Didn't I see this at the New Museum?

And notice our beautiful bright blue new ceramic birdbath at left rear. Bonnie spotted it while driving by a garden supply place and did a U-turn. It really is a striking color that looks great with plants although I haven't seen the birds in it yet.

That dark spot is a bit of dirt brought in by - birds?

While I'm reflecting, here's another one.

Such a beautiful spring! The looking is wonderful.