BUMBLE BATH

 Yes, call me nuts! As most of you saw, my wildflower garden has taken wonderfully and quickly, which also meant I am getting far more bees and bumbles to the garden these days. Now I have several bird baths around the house, so of course the bees like to enjoy them too to get some water, which many don't know. The problem was some would go to far down, slip in, and sadly drown. Of course, I saved a few before they got to waterlogged and smothered. I would place them in the garden to dry out. So, before my last vacation I was on Instagram and caught a video of a lady who made this elaborate bee bath. Well, I'm not Marth Stewart, but she did give me an idea. To go with the growing bee habitat, I made my own bee bath.

Bees drown because once suck in the water they have nothing to cling to get out. So,I went to the garden center, got a medium terra cotta pot, turned the pot upside-down, and placed the water dish on top. Then filled the dish with little filler peddles to make raised places out of the water with a few larger stones from the garden I found or on walks, and added a twig to make a bridge of sorts and then filled with water. I placed it in the shaded rose garden so they can drink and bee, get it, bee out of the sun. lol! I have seen many using it already, but if you do try this just make sure to add water daily, as in the heat, it can evaporate quickly. I'm happy to report I have not seen a dead on yet this year in any of the birdbaths.

Of course I wanted all bees to feel welcome, so I added in this pride rock my mother gave me that she painted this year at a craft event at her work, and I also added in a few seas shells I found on the beach from my last jaunt for more platforms for bees to cling too.