Bumblebee on Nepeta

I’m still walking around in a daze of exhaustion with very low spirits, but I’m hoping and praying that I will soon be back to my normal self. It feels as though I’ve been on a marathon walk, and have just fallen off a cliff at the end of it! It’s happened before, so I’m not too bothered, and I know what I need to do. I always find that walking around the garden helps lift my mood, especially on such a glorious June day as today, which has been the perfect temperature for me. It was wonderful to see all the vigorous growth of the past few weeks. The Pretty Lady rose bushes are bursting out all over, the rhododendrons are the most glorious I’ve seen them and in the wildflower corner at the back of the garden there are dozens of ox-eye daisy plants which have self-seeded and are about to burst into flower. I can’t wait! As I wandered around I heard blackbirds, goldfinches and our robin all singing merrily, and I couldn’t help but feel happier.

There were lots of small bees and several holly blue butterflies buzzing around the flower beds – I’m afraid I don’t know what the bees were. But I did go online to investigate some bumblebees that I saw. I didn’t know why the one in the extras on the salvia had cream bulges on either side of its legs, and neither did I know what kind of bee it was. I now know that it’s a female white-tailed bumblebee and the bulges are formed by the pollen in her pollen basket (corbicula). The males apparently don’t have pollen baskets. 

Now that I’ve partaken of some garden therapy I’m going to go out in the slightly cooler evening sunshine for a gentle walk with Smithers. I don’t think I’ll take my camera, I’ll just practise mindfulness and gratitude on the way, safe in the knowledge that I’ve already posted my blip!