The Mysterious Hawthorn

 One of the best things you can do for honeybees and native bees is to plant trees. Now that the herbaceous bee plants are winding down, I'm focusing my attention on trees. I've come up against a mystery: the hawthorn. It is listed as a honey plant, if somewhat unreliable--really dependent on the weather. However, some hawthorn, such as our native black hawthorn are described as having blossoms with a fishy smell which attract pollinating midges. (Midge--such an ambiguous term, it irks me.) Sometimes the blossoms are described as smelling sweet, and other times like rotting flesh. I'm assuming these are different varieties, but could they be characteristic of hawthorns in general--ie stinky in bad weather for carrion beetles and midges but sweet in sunny weather for bees? Anyone out there have any ideas?

In the the meantime I am taking pictures of our wonderful and glorious autumn trees.

 I know some beekeepers are seeing bees in Japanese anenomes, but I have never seen it happen.

 Oddly enough, I did see honeybees in the Aconitum at VanDusen yesterday.

Finally, I had a thrill today when the hummingbird who has claimed our garden visited hummingbird sage, cleome,  and the big rhodo that's blooming again. And we have a strange bird visiting us that makes a sound like a policeman's whistle. What could that be? The hummer didn't like it, swooping down from a great height and diving at the tree.

The Best Way to Grow Tomatoes: With a Hummingbird Helper

"You should make some fried green tomatoes," Catherine suggests as I'm leaving her house. "Grab some tomatoes in the greenhouse, dip them in egg, then cornmeal and fry them. I like mine with soya sauce for dipping." So I took her up on her generous offer. After all, the rains have started here in Vancouver so we are under pressure to start picking tomatoes before early blight sets in. The recipe sounds simple enough, so I don't even do a Google search for the details. I just buy the organic cornmeal and do it. First off, I didn't know how thick to slice the tomatoes, second, which way to slice them and third, I didn't know how much oil to put in the pan. So I tried thicker and thinner slices, one tomato sliced across the width, the other vertically. Peter sampled a bite and shrugged. He always does this when he's not impressed with something. It happens involuntarily and I can pick up even the most subtle of shrugs. It's his "tell". I wasn't too convinced either. The tomatoes seemed tough and the cornmeal didn't feel cooked. I chalk it up as one of my culinary failures.

Later that evening I do my research. It seems there needs to be milk in the batter and at least a half an inch of oil in the pan. So I will give it another try on a later date. In the meantime I heated a couple of leftover slices in the oven this morning and piled smoked salmon on top with tsatskiki, onions and capers. It was delicious. The fried green tomatoes make a good bread substitute. I can imagine making grilled cheese sandwiches this way.

 

Did you know that bumblebees pollinate tomatoes? Tomatoes are new world crops that didn't evolve with honeybees. Our new world bumblebees have the ability to shake the pollen out of the stamen like a salt or pepper shaker. People who have enclosed greenhouses have to hand pollinate the flowers with vibrators, which must feel pretty silly. Then farmers got the bright idea to farm bumblebees, placing artificial nests in the greenhouses. This may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but they imported eastern bumblebees to western Canada. These bumblebees not only got sick, but many escaped and started bullying the indigenous western bumble bees out of their nests.

 

There are two families of plants that benefit from buzz pollination. The first is the nightshade family (Solanaceae) which includes tomatoes, eggplant, ground cherries, chile peppers, potatoes, chayote, and goji berries (Lycium barbarum). The second family is the heather family (Ericaceae), including red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), cranberries and blueberries. Bumblebees are better pollinators than honeybees for watermelon and cucumber, although there are squash bees that evolved to pollinator the cucurbits. They are about the size of honeybees and the males have an endearing habit of bedding down in small groups inside pumpkin flowers.

 

At the Saltspring Centre for Yoga there is a greenhouse hosting a wide range of colours and shapes of tomatoes. The door is wide open so that bumblebees can come in and shake the stamens. Furthermore, there is a resident hummingbird that perches on the wires suspending the tomato vines. She eats up all the tiny bugs that would otherwise be munching on the tomatoes. The back of the greenhouse is planted with hummingbird flowers: nasturtiums and beautiful purple morning glories that twine up among the tomato vines and will provide extra nectar for the bumblebees once the tomatoes have finished flowering. Surely this is one of the best ways to grow tomatoes in a northern climate. I have read in gardening forums that hummers will sometimes perch on tomato cages, so I bought a bright red one to put in my raised bed even when I'm not growing tomatoes.

 

Ever since I heard the story of bumble bees and greenhouses, I have been intrigued by the question: what is the best way to grow tomatoes here in British Columbia? Tomatoes are tricky here because we tend not to get enough dry sunny weather for them. Sustained late summer rains often means the tomatoes get blight, which means you've got to toss everything out and it's risky to grow tomatoes in that soil again. They are the most high-maintenance veggie I'm willing to grow in pots in our back yard and this year I didn't plant any because I knew I'd be too busy to attend to their needs.

Yesterday my friend Lori made me a salad with tomatoes, cukes, feta and olives. Having forgotten spoons we ate the ripe tomatoes with our fingers on a picnic table at UBC Farm. At least I know the best ways to eat tomatoes.

Links for more information about the problems of using commercially raised bumble bees in greenhouses:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002771
http://www.ballpublishing.com/insidegrower/CurrentNewsletter.aspx

Inspired by City Farmer

 Earlier this month I spent a lovely afternoon in the garden at City Farmer. I was happy to find Sharon and Michael sitting out the quiet rain shower and chatting about garden stuff. I was charmed by a hummingbird coming down to have a wee sip at the Verbena bonariensis. This plant also attracts butterflies and bees and can be planted instead of buddleia, even though it is not as "moreish" as the Butterfly Bush. I like how each stem  has three stems which in turn bear three stems. It's like a delicate candelabra.

When the rain let up I took a few photos of some of the inspired and inspiring planting.
 These orange cosmos are perfect for matching the colors of fall flowers.

These lovely insect hotels are maintained by the resident "Bug Lady" at City Farmer, Maria Keating.

Be sure to check out City Farmer's award winning blog by Michael Levenston and go see the garden to get yourself inspired!

Dusk in the August Garden

 Dusk falls on the August garden after a lovely dinner followed by whiskey hazelnut Earnest Ice Cream topped with apricots simmered with buckwheat honey. After a morning spent running errands downtown I am grateful to be back home surrounded by our little green oasis.

 The late summer light makes the colors of the flowers pop. Tonight I noticed that the Cleome spinosa perks up and offers nectar at night, a sure sign it evolved for night pollinators like bats.

 Speaking of bats, I wonder if this moth is meant to resemble a bat, cat, or squirrel.

A hummingbird visited later than usual tonight, doing her rounds: buddleia, crocosmia, back to the buddleia, scarlet runner beans, sweat peas, and then zinnias. She has a strict sense of preference.

Other small songbirds are starting to visit the garden as well. They love to perch on the bamboo supports for the sweet peas. You could do a whole sculpture project just on perching points for birds.

Hummingbird Sage

 Pssst! Mr. Stink bug, your cammo isn't working here.

It's nearing the end of August and things in the garden are winding down. I cleared out my peas to make way for some winter starts and I'm beginning to think about putting gardens to bed next month and planning new gardens for next spring. Those who make jam are at it full force. There's a bit of a feeling of panic in the air to get all those summer activities in and get those school clothes bought because you know how summer makes kids grow.

 I started cleaning out the raspberry canes and catching up on some weeding, but mostly I like to sit and enjoy the garden with my feet up in my anti-gravity chair. I am worrying about the neighbor's bamboo, which is aggressively creeping under the back fence. Peter and I had a good old barny about what we should do about it. He thinks we should dig out the roots and put down plexiglass. I think the neighbor should do it because it's this bamboo. We think he's an absentee landlord so we are unsure about whether he would do anything. Then I worry about the buddleia on the other side which is starting to set seed and the wild black berry that crept into the raspberry patch. The thing is, I've got to stop worrying and start doing something about it.

And then the hummingbird visits. She feeds at almost all the plants I grew for her: scarlet runner beans, zinnias, and the hummingbird salvias. My heart lightens and I forget about all those fall garden worries. I am in the moment enjoying the luscious end of summer. These annual salvias are from a mix put out by Swallowtail Garden Seeds and you can buy each color separately as well: Salvia coccinea. I hope I can get some better photos this week as I rest up before my marathon performance as the Queen Bee at the 125th birthday of Stanley Park this weekend. Lord, give me strength!

In the mean time I am enjoying my garden, feeling like Grizzly Adams with all these insects and birds coming to visit. The chickadees and I have a good dialogue going on now that they have claimed one of the bee oases as their own. They perch boldly on my chair when the water needs to be refilled and I usually get the message when I am not otherwise preoccupied with buddleia and bamboo.

Irridescence in the Garden

 I set out to find hummingbirds at VanDusen Gardens and I found that this is one of the best times of the year to find them. The monardas are just past their prime, but the crocosmias are glorious right now.

 I'm aware of the differences between roufous and Anna's but I still find them hard to identify. I think this is a rufous because it struck me how tiny she was. The first thought I had when I saw her flight path was "Insect or bird?" The female hummers are also harder to spot because they are so quiet. This little one was proprietary about this particular patch of crocosmia. She did have a tussle with another hummer to defend her patch of paradise.

 Later, I saw this hummer, which I think is an Anna's. I think at this time of the year it might be even more tricky to identify the species of hummingbird with some birds being adolescents.

There are patches of monarda in different parts of the garden which attracts the large bumble bee queens as well as hummingbirds.

As I was waiting for the bus, I witnessed two people having an argument. The body language alerted me to their conflict. I overheard what the problem was: a mentally challenged adult was having words with his caregiver because she had touched his hand. He didn't like people touching him. "I touched your hand because you weren't listening to me," she said. She was frustrated, but not in a mean way. It struck me that sometimes fighting is just another form of communication. Hummingbirds often communicate by fighting.

I harass bees all the time and usually they don't bother me. I stick my camera in their space and snap away, trying to get closer and closer. Some bees are more shy and they usually fly to a place where I can't reach. Some bees aren't bothered at all.  Sometimes bumble bees will wave their leg up in the air as a warning, but I find that rarely happens to me. Bees will physically push each other to assert themselves. Usually the larger bee pushes the smaller bee out of their way so they can continue foraging. Sometimes when you get too close to a beehive or wasp nest they will give you a "Glesgae kiss" also known as a "Glasgow kiss" or a head butt. I disturbed a shy little wasp walking down my steps the other day and I watched her hide in the cracks, peeking out at me to wait until I left.


Hummingbirds are very alert to predators. The hummers at VanDusen are used to people being around all the time, but as soon as they hear a raven, they disappear into the shadows. I think they like to forage high, ie on climbing plants, as an instinct against predators like cats.

This variety of crocosmia is more towards the orange color, with these striking centres that probably function as nectar guides.

 Just before I left the garden I spotted a beautiful sweat bee in these asters. This little patch of asters was attracting the largest variety of bees in the garden. In fact, since the plants are thirty per cent off in the garden shop, I bought four little pots of asters to take home. There are many types of asters in different heights, so it should be easy to find an aster that suits your garden.

I went to Oak Meadows park and the garden around the Insect Hotel where a hummingbird was visiting the monarda. This late in the season the park could really do with some asters to feed the bees.

You are Invited to a Hummingbird Garden Party!

Join at us the Moberly Cultural Herb Garden for a garden party celebrating the healing power of plants and gardens. 

There will be tea and treats and garden tours with Madame Beespeaker.

 Erin Udal from the Environmental Youth Alliance will discuss the programs the EYA have been creating to help the bees in our city and how you can help. 

Herbalist Lori Snyder will talk about local herbs you can find to boost your health. Some of the medicines you need might be the ones right under your feet! 

Meet the new Moberly artist in residence

 Melanie Schambach and artist/gardener Holly Schmidt.

Where: Behind the Moberly Community Arts Centre, 7646 Prince Albert Street, one block east of Fraser and 60th

When: Sunday August 11, 2-4 pm.

Dress-up Theme: Dress like a hummingbird flower: wear red!!!!!!!

FREE and all ages are welcome.

Hummingbird Flowers are on Fire!

Perfectly behaved and neatly coifed zinnias waiting for hummingbird visitors

This spring I purchased seeds for plants that were supposed to attract hummingbirds. I have planted them in four different gardens around the city. It's the beginning of August and many of them are now in full bloom. I was sitting in my back yard moping about having spent all this time and energy and no hummers were visiting the flowers. Just at that moment, a sweet female Anna's came and fed at the Cardinal Creeper. I was so excited. But what made my heart burst, was when her male partner joined her and they both fed in the garden. Now they are returning every day.

Sweet peas in lipstick shades

They were really into those Cardinal Creepers, but they did sip at the red sweet peas and I saw one stick her beak in a California poppy that had closed for the night. Hummingbirds seem to like to travel at dusk to fill up for the long night, so the morning glories are finished, but they were still trying to get nectar out of the blossoms. Hummingbirds don't have a sense of smell, so the intense fragrance of the sweet peas is lost on them, but I have been enjoying their sweet smell of summer.

You can see why they are attracted to the cardinal climber blossoms. They are classic red trumpet-shaped flowers. I would say these and the red monardas are the flowers that really draw the hummingbirds in and then they tend to sample other plants around these ones.

 I thought these morning glories were supposed to be red, but they are next to a pink rose, so I don't mind so much. Please note, these are not invasive like the white morning glories that are a pest in this province. I've planted them in pots as I try to get a handle on the goutweed in this section of the garden.

Along with my anise hyssop for bees, I  have planted these varieties of agastache (hummingbird mint) which have the longer blossoms for the hummers.

These fragrant agastache come in shades of pink and orange.

 This is Cleome spinosa, and I am curios to see how the birds feed at these wacky flowers.

This is hummingbird salvia. I also planted some of the salvias with the bright blue blossoms, but they have finished blooming.

 One of the hummingbird salvias has white blooms, which I believe is a mutation or a throw back to its wild origins. I'll have to save the seed and see if I can cultivate more of these.

I'm always happy to see these skippers in the garden!

 I visited Banyen Books yesterday and realized that the garden along their east side contains cool hummingbird plants. I don't know what these plants with the creamy yellow blossoms, but they would suit hummers.

This is a jasmine that can overwinter in Vancouver.

 This is orange trumpet creeper vine, aka Campsis radicans. Native to the Southern US, they come with a big invasive warning. The roots can damage property and you should collect the seeds before they fall to the ground.

Finally, the bergamot next to the street is finishing up. The scavenger in me wanted to collect and dry all those lovely red blossoms.

This is monarda at the City Hall community garden. The hummingbirds perch in nearby trees and then swoop down to feed when the coast is clear. If you want hummingbirds in your garden, this plant is a true "hummingbird magnet" along with fuschias, red-flowering currant, honeysuckle and crocosmia. If you plant it, they will come!