THE BEE GARDEN

Somewhere in the dark days of late fall, before the coronavirus hit, I decided to tear up my weed cloth by my back patio and outside my office window to plant a garden for the bees. I had planted a smaller bee garden last summer and was so successful that the bees took up home in my garden shed. But this year I had the idea for a small meadow with densely planted flowers and herbs that the bees and butterflies would love. We cut away the weed cloth and added layers of newspaper, wetted down, and then added planting mix, chicken manure pellets, compost, and straw. I kept this wet until the winter rains started. Than I added red clover seeds to help loosen the tightly packed ground.

At some point, I tossed bee and butterfly seed mixture onto the top layer and gently raked them in. I threw out handfuls of borage because its beautiful blue flowers made me happy and the bees loved them too. I also planted sweet peas in deep purples and reds, red and white stripes, and some in pretty pastel shades of pink and lavender. Somewhere along the way, I must have spilled sweet pea seeds on the other side of the garden as plants shot up all around the rose bushes that have always grown there.

Next the sunflower seeds from last summer that had fallen from the dried seed heads sprouted to life to become a forest of towering plants.

Late rain storms in March and April fed the life force of the seeds as they burst through the layer of straw I had put down. First up was the red clover – just the green plants themselves and then the beautiful red clover heads appeared. Next the borage sprouted, and then the sweet peas arrived in April. In the mix were the arugula, dill, fennel and parsley that also sprang forth.

Now as April turns to May, I see summer plants peaking through of blue bachelor buttons and purple cosmos. I just spotted Yarrow as well.

I swear the bees never leave. Even at dusk, they are busy collecting pollen from the plants. It’s a joy to sit here and watch them along with the Anna’s hummingbirds and little wrens that land on my flowers — really theirs, as I planted this garden for them. But secretly, I planted for myself and my kitty Lilly, who loves flowers too.

I looked over right now and Lilly has her nose deep into the flowers sniffing their scent. I am about to put out more seeds as these flowers will die off soon and I want to keep the joy of flowers coming all summer and fall.

I’ve seen tall coreopsis have sprouted in my raised bed. The birds must have spread their seed, as they usually grow mostly in my veggie garden. I love them in the fall with their brilliant orange robes lighting up the fall sky in its last nod before winter darkness hits and the cycle starts again.