The past few days I have been having a difficult time getting into work. No, not because of the flooding but because it is the time of year that the Hollyhocks are a bloomin. It is such a cheerful sight to greet us when we walk into the back door. Every year at about this time the Hollyhocks get together and have a fashion show. Which has the prettiest frock? There is a deep red one that I didn't get home with a decent picture. The other colors run from that deep red to several shades of pink to white. These hollyhocks are a testament to the hardiness of these old fashioned plants. They are never watered or fertilized. I have worked here 11 years and they have never failed to bloom. The colors dance from side to side and back and forth in their beds. They never look the same. They even escape into the little patch of lawn that surrounds the back of the building. I have tried to get a patch of these started at our house but I haven't had any luck. Hmmmmm My friend says I am too nice to them. Ha..
The rest of this post is dedicated to all of my bee loving blogging buddies especially
Cheryl and
Sherry. If you all were able to come here you would have a fine time of bee watching. Many of them approach the flowers with their bottoms up. Luckily my Dearly Beloved was here with me this evening and took the rest of the pictures on this post.
We were on our way to the river to get a look at the flood waters as they passed by Vincennes. That will be a different post. For now I hope you enjoy the Bees...
I think there were two different kinds of bees. Or maybe there were male and female. I don't know much about bees. I try not to get in their way of pollen collecting. They are always so busy.
They get the pollen all over themselves. This one looks as though he was rolling in it.
This is the only picture we got of the Bumble bee. It looked like a little piggy wallering in a wallow of pollen.
The rest of this post is dedicated to all of my bee loving blogging buddies especially Cheryl and Sherry. If you all were able to come here you would have a fine time of bee watching. Many of them approach the flowers with their bottoms up. Luckily my Dearly Beloved was here with me this evening and took the rest of the pictures on this post.
We were on our way to the river to get a look at the flood waters as they passed by Vincennes. That will be a different post. For now I hope you enjoy the Bees...
I think there were two different kinds of bees. Or maybe there were male and female. I don't know much about bees. I try not to get in their way of pollen collecting. They are always so busy.
They get the pollen all over themselves. This one looks as though he was rolling in it.
This is the only picture we got of the Bumble bee. It looked like a little piggy wallering in a wallow of pollen.
I have to admit that I've not been that nuts about Hollyhocks in the past, but I think you've made me change my mind. :)
ReplyDeleteI love my Hollyhocks, but they always get rust and defoliate and look ratty toward the end of the summer. It si fun to see where they self-sow themselves, though!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa....thank you for a wonderful post, on two counts. Of course for me the bees are the main topic and the bumble is beautiful. Secondly, I to, have never had much success with hollyhocks, they always get covered in rust.....I gave up two years ago because they looked so unwell. I love them, and miss them in the garden. A joy to behold, tku Lisa.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the bees, Lisa! DB's photos rival those of Cheryl and Sheryy. Those stands of hollyhocks are beautiful. I think all my transplants from my mother took, but they are a long way from blooming yet.
ReplyDeleteI love your hollyhock pictures! I have my very first Indiana hollyhock about to bloom. Only one survived from all of the seeds sown last year. I can't wait to see the blooms. I had a much easier time getting them to grow in my Alabama garden.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post...I am trying to grow Hollyhocks as a memorial for my mom (she recently passed away). She didn't garden but she loved Hollyhocks.
ReplyDeleteThey make me smile...
thank you,
Gail
Oh, the color! Love seeing the bees just roll and bathe in the pollen. :c)
ReplyDeleteLovely Hollyhock flowers! I don't grow them because of the bug-eaten leaves & the rust problems. Bumblebees are my favorite bees - great shot of it covered in white pollen.
ReplyDeleteLovely hollyhocks. They remind me of a cottage garden. The bees look like they were in heaven!
ReplyDeleteI just love your bee shots in the flower! Bravo
ReplyDeleteOh, I love hollyhocks, and watching bees get drunk on the pollen. Yours are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLisa, really nice photos of the girls in their pretty frocks. I like hollyhocks, but they don't always work here. I plant seeds and they may grow or not.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteDear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! I adore seeing bees.
Wonderful bee walk. Nice to know the bees are well feed in your neck of the woods. My motto is, "If it is good for the bees it is good for me!" Hollyhocks are good!
DB did an amazing job on photos. It would be difficult to go inside for work. I too would want to be outside with all the pretty hollyhocks and bees.
Cheryl introduced me to the bee box. If I was president I would give each family a bee box. Boy Scouts could make them. Bee box management could be a life science taught in high school...I do day dream and dance about with the bees.
Wonderful post. Glad you are high and dry.
Storms coming in again for me.
Sherry, who buzzes about like a bee
These closeups were beautiful. Watching the bee inside was wonderful. You could just smell the flowers... KC
ReplyDeleteI just wasn't prepared for that hollyhock walkway! Fairy land! I can see why concentrating on anything other than birds, bees and flowers would be difficult. I planted two Russian hollyhocks this year. Time will tell what they will do.
ReplyDeleteYour wonderful Hollyhock Walk is so beautiful, Lisa! It's so rare to see hollyhocks looking good - rust gets them, or they blow down.
ReplyDeleteThey must be so happy to have found the perfect place to grow!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
The hollyhocks look lovely. They defintely thrive on neglect and poor soil. My parents have a huge patch of them growing at the lake. They reach about 8 feet - but not until mid-July or thereabouts. My efforts to grow them in my garden have been futile. My garden is too shady I figure and they definitely seem to like the sun.
ReplyDeleteI hope the flooding is easing up in Indiana. We are having a problem here, albeit on a much smaller scale. I've been wet vacuuming the basement carpet and the rain is supposed to last for another 2 days. At least the garden seems happy.
You just brought back a lot of childhood memories with these beautiful hollyhocks. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYour hollyhocks seem to bloom earlier than mine, and I am up in the Chicago suburbs. Do you ever get the japanese beetles on them? I have such trouble with them, especially on the hollyhocks and roses. Anyhow, your's look so gorgeous and healthy - they must be in just the right spot to make them happy!
laura t.
I love the Hollyhocks but have never grown them.
ReplyDeleteThe bee pictures are so cool - you can see the pollen on them!
I also love hollyhocks (because of their wonderful colours and their silky texture) but I wasn't lucky to grow them in my garden (rust!). Maybe I'll give them another try some day! I hope the flooding is over now, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful hollyhocks and bee bums. We'd love to grow hollyhocks but cannot. They are one of those plants for which the deer seem to have a special affinity.
ReplyDeleteI love the Hollyhocks. I've never had any success in growing them. Maybe I'll give it another try. The photos of the bees are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you all liked these lovely well dressed ladies. They look really good now but they do tend to start falling over and looking a bit worse for wear in a couple of weeks. We don't seem to have japanese beetles but something else eats the leaves. I have never noticed rust. Maybe they are cut down before they develop rust.
ReplyDeleteAnd Barbara, the flood waters have not receeded yet. They are going down ever so slowly.