One of the flowers I love is Blue Porterweed. The blossoms are so dainty! They bloom on long thin stems, only opening a few at a time. Its a perennial that dies back in the Winter, but has never failed to grow in the Spring. Not to mention all the seeds it produces that scatter closely around the parent plant. Its a favorite of butterflies, including this Gulf Fritillary. And Skippers seem to be especially fond of it a little later in the year.
Used to be the honeybees and bumblebees would practically cover it! But our honeybee population is frighteningly sparse. They started thinning out about three years ago, then the 'bumbles' became very numerous. Last year their numbers were down considerably. This Spring I haven't seen a bumblebee yet. There is one bee that has that chunky shape, but its solid black. Perhaps a type I don't know about or a color mutation. I only see one though. Rarely see a honeybee, if I do there are only one or two. Its a sad and frightening thing to see.
I encourage everyone to plant flowers that the bees love, and not to use chemicals that can harm them. Contact local officials about county and state spraying programs, both agricultural and mosquito control, to see what they are using and to ask for more environmentally safe alternatives. We must keep our world safe. And WE NEED THE BEES!
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