After a very hot, dry summer, we’ve started getting some much-needed rain showers over the past couple of weeks. It has cooled down a bit now, but the bees are still buzzing about the garden and some of the flowers have started to flourish again. So, during a brief dry spell this morning, I popped out to take some photos.
The bees love the echinacea plant and frequent it enthusiastically, before heading over the heather and lavender.
Marigolds are a popular flower in the garden and I enjoy photographing them. You might remember them from last year’s Summer Lovin’ post.
The lilac asters came from Grandad’s garden. He’s in his 90’s, yet still keeps a flourishing garden. He has cut back a bit, but he still occasionally brings some in some cuttings to brighten up their kitchen. Nan is never short of vegetables in the kitchen either.
There’s a steep bank at the back of the garden, perfect for growing heather. The snow drifts we had earlier in the year sadly crushed some of the heather, so it needs replacing in patches, yet a lot of it survived and the bees love it.
This sunflower isn’t the biggest or the tallest to have grown in the garden, despite all the sun we’ve had this summer. The village has held an annual sunflower competition in recent years, but this one won’t be winning any prizes!
18 Comments
Jeanna
Outstanding macro shots, love the bees and the raindrops on the marigold. My lack of flower knowledge would have called three out of four “wild daisies,” lol.
Nikki
Thank you 🙂
Carol
Wow! Your macros are gorgeous!
Nikki
Thanks 🙂
Kelly
Stunning photos and I especially like the shots of the bees! The idea of a sunflower contest is fun.
Lady Fi
So very bee-utiful!
chickenruby
My mum has plants she claims are 100’s of years old as they are cuttings from previous plants moved from house to house that originally belonged to her mother. #keepingitreal
rashbre
I love your macro pictures.
Jo
Wonderful photos. I love the shots of the bees on the echinacea.
CherryPie
Are you sure it is not ‘Bee Power’?
Fantastic photographs 🙂
Yvonne@FictionBooks
Some great shots. If you don’t mind me asking, what camera are you using, only hubbie is in the market for a new one and your pictures are always amazing?
They say that nature has a way of repairing itself and that is just so true this year. In most places, you wouldn’t think we had had such a severe drought for so long. The flowers are recovering a treat and most grassed areas are slowly coming back to life. Of course, the downside is that the weeds have realised very quickly that they have some making up for time to do and they have got on with the job post haste.
Bees have suffered greatly this year too, so it is good to see that at least in your neck of the woods, they are hale and hearty still.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yvonne
xx
Nikki
The camera I used for these photos is an Olympus E-PL7 camera with a 60mm macro lens. There’s newer versions of the camera as I’ve had it 3 years now and you know how technology moves quickly. It’s still a very good camera though.
Yvonne@FictionBooks
Thanks for that 🙂
Debbie
Hi Nikki, I expect your garden is grateful for the rain now! Watching bees go about their business is quite therapeutic, don’t you find? I like the photos of the bee on the echinacea, the colours are lovely… Sunflowers are my favourites, bug or small they are such happy flowers.
Thank you for linking up with #keepingitreal.
xx
Anca
Awww, the pictures are stunning. I love those bees and the flowers are beautiful too.
jeanie
These photos knock my socks off, especially the close-ups of the bees. I am amazed, impressed and smiling at all the happy color!
Tilly travel
Love the sun flower
Ageeth Mooij
So pretty!