![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_5b42f4e538ef4067abd751d5e97107d9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_5b42f4e538ef4067abd751d5e97107d9~mv2.webp)
![Bees and All That Pollen](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_5b42f4e538ef4067abd751d5e97107d9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_5b42f4e538ef4067abd751d5e97107d9~mv2.webp)
Bees and All That Pollen
Look at all the pollen on the Tiny Metallic Sweat Bee Lasioglossum sp Halictidae. It is rolling in the pollen of a California poppy. One...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_5c35609c31b84bbeb59b594aea34b9a1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_5c35609c31b84bbeb59b594aea34b9a1~mv2.webp)
![Poppy of Troy](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_5c35609c31b84bbeb59b594aea34b9a1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_5c35609c31b84bbeb59b594aea34b9a1~mv2.webp)
Poppy of Troy
This year is the first time we have islands of Poppy of Troy in the garden. And they are quite tall, about fifteen inches. There is...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_5d85727c1e204f209765e0e6736a5456~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_5d85727c1e204f209765e0e6736a5456~mv2.webp)
![Spring Bloom right here](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_5d85727c1e204f209765e0e6736a5456~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_5d85727c1e204f209765e0e6736a5456~mv2.webp)
Spring Bloom right here
Most people need to travel somewhere to experience the dramatic beauty and colors of Spring Bloom. But luckily many spring and summer...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_6f377888c9814dbdb9e91d9a42d345b3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_6f377888c9814dbdb9e91d9a42d345b3~mv2.webp)
![Yellow-faced bumble bee on Verbena De La Mina](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_6f377888c9814dbdb9e91d9a42d345b3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_6f377888c9814dbdb9e91d9a42d345b3~mv2.webp)
Yellow-faced bumble bee on Verbena De La Mina
How do they do it? This is an overhead view of a Yellow-faced bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii sipping nectar from a Verbena De La Mina...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_3c230bd8836f4a0bb004841fc22255ae~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_3c230bd8836f4a0bb004841fc22255ae~mv2.webp)
![Happy Earth Day!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_3c230bd8836f4a0bb004841fc22255ae~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_3c230bd8836f4a0bb004841fc22255ae~mv2.webp)
Happy Earth Day!
Observing in the morning those cute Yellow-faced bumble bees Bombus vosnesenskii as they S Q U E E Z E into partially opened poppies. The...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_90bfe825717c44d5b1bc1191a76af8bf~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_90bfe825717c44d5b1bc1191a76af8bf~mv2.webp)
![Butterflies on the Verbena De La Mina](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_90bfe825717c44d5b1bc1191a76af8bf~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_90bfe825717c44d5b1bc1191a76af8bf~mv2.webp)
Butterflies on the Verbena De La Mina
Late yesterday afternoon I was pleasantly surprised by the visits of two butterflies on the Verbena De La Mina shrub. The beautiful...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_2dac52d96aac43a4a4bc9bcde4b71d71~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_2dac52d96aac43a4a4bc9bcde4b71d71~mv2.webp)
![Sandhill Skipper on Lambs Ears](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_2dac52d96aac43a4a4bc9bcde4b71d71~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_2dac52d96aac43a4a4bc9bcde4b71d71~mv2.webp)
Sandhill Skipper on Lambs Ears
Another new sighting in our garden, a Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuleti. How cute it is! This butterfly was flying around the native...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_120e915cd55d4ca9953797573dc9be5b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_120e915cd55d4ca9953797573dc9be5b~mv2.webp)
![Pipevine Swallowtail on the Verbena De La Mina](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_120e915cd55d4ca9953797573dc9be5b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_120e915cd55d4ca9953797573dc9be5b~mv2.webp)
Pipevine Swallowtail on the Verbena De La Mina
Wow, what luck! Today in the late afternoon I happened to look out the window at the front yard. I saw constant fluttering around the...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_1ea483c568f6454aaa66a47fcdc7216d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_1ea483c568f6454aaa66a47fcdc7216d~mv2.webp)
![Spring blooms and secret gardens](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_1ea483c568f6454aaa66a47fcdc7216d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_1ea483c568f6454aaa66a47fcdc7216d~mv2.webp)
Spring blooms and secret gardens
Every day I poke around our garden, looking for new blooms. This is what greets the eye when one of our back gates is opened. The plants...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_b25c8170226e484ba69cb633beb4ec40~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_b25c8170226e484ba69cb633beb4ec40~mv2.webp)
![Ivory Banded Digger Bees](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_b25c8170226e484ba69cb633beb4ec40~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_b25c8170226e484ba69cb633beb4ec40~mv2.webp)
Ivory Banded Digger Bees
This afternoon an Ivory Banded Digger Bee male Anthophora californica spent a lot of time around the Pozo Blue salvia plant. As you can...