Saving Seeds 2013 and Bees

Dear Jeni and Mary,

It has been a really good year for seeds so I have lots that I have been saving.   This reminds me of when I first started saving seeds.  Dad was the one who taught me when I was about 7 or so.  I remember he had planted Four o'clocks along the edge of our property that ran along our 'driveway'.  (There was never a car in that tiny garage because we didn't have one.  Mom told me that there was lots of newspaper in it because Dad was a Scout leader and his group had a paper drive that drove as far as our garage and then died.  Heh.)

But I digress.  Four o'clocks were planted along the driveway and Dad showed me how to collect the seeds from the plant and I have loved Four o'clocks and seed collecting ever since.

Nancy and a Four o'clock seed.

Scarlet Runner bean seeds...so pretty.  Purple and Black the size of large Lima's.

No it isn't a seed.  It is Alice examining a few of Jim's giant carrots.

I faintly remember buying this morning glory at Bergeson's.  I bet it
is a hybrid and won't have viable seed.  Drat.

There are poppy seeds back here you know.

So I have been out in the garden looking for seeds.  It has been sort of busy out there because the bees are in a feeding frenzy.  They did this last year too.  Maybe it is because it was a drought.  Maybe it is because of all the other problems bees have been having.  One thing is for certain you don't want to get between a bee and the grape jelly I have been trying to feed to the migrating Orioles. 

 

I finally resorted to plates of grape jelly out in the yard so the bees would hopefully leave the bird feeders in the garden alone.

One of three plates.

The second plate.  These are dessert size, about 7 inches.

The last plate.  This one has been out for a while and has some fresh jelly and
some dried up jelly from earlier days also.

The bees were quite happy with the plates but like the jelly in the garden too.  I can go right up to the plates or the jelly feeder and add to them. The bees don't bother me.  They are focused on the food.   There are at least 3 kinds of bees.  Even my untrained eye can tell them apart.  I wish someone who knows about bee's would tell me why this is happening? If anyone knows a bee specialist ask them for me.

Well that is all for now.  It rained all morning and it still raining. No more seed collecting today.

PS if you want some morning glory seeds let me know.
Hugs,
Nancy