Thursday, June 16, 2011

Flower Fly

I learned this week about hoverflies or flower flies. I thought a photo I took was of a bee and when I posted it to facebook I learned of it's true name. Now everywhere I look in the garden I see all sorts of hoverflies (over 6000 species in the world). They mimic a bee's coloring to ward off predators and they like to eat aphids. Plus they don't sting me so it's all good.


Two examples of hoverflies, one on a poppy, the other on the coreopsis.


Bee on the sage.


Bee on lavender.


Charlie Chaplin tomatoes growing in the garden.
I tried some interesting heirloom varieties this year.
I also am using Tomato Tone and fish emulsion to feed them (man that stuff stinks).


Black raspberries are ripening.
My husband's favorite fruit and for once the groundhogs have not eaten the plants down to the ground.


Blueberries are starting to ripen as well.


An unusual black hollyhock.


Coneflowers are starting to bloom.
I have 4 different types and I want more!


Another tiny hoverfly.


Guara is so delicate and ladylike.


Another favorite starting to bloom.
I love all the different colors the hydrangea turns.


In Zoe's wildflower garden, a poppy greets us this morning.


I'm so happy I bought this beautiful peachy pink yarrow last year.


One of my customers, now friend, bought me this gorgeous daylilies for my birthday last year. It was such a wonderful surprise. The variety is Jen Ojay from Oakes Daylilies. I could get addicted to collecting daylilies but they can be so expensive.


Lovely larkspur I grew from seed! I love the pink/orange snapdragons in the background.


Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran

8 comments:

Gypsyheart said...

Wow these pics are so lush and splendid! Thanks for providing some visual relief over here in our hot Texas drought time.
I recently became acquainted with a carpenter bee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee that made its home in my booth at the OK Ren Faire... it made a perfectly round whole in the beam and would sprinkle sawdust down on me and my clients!

Robin Larkspur said...

May I just say: Glorious!!! your garden photos are so clear, crisp and dewey! You have a superb green thumb! Thanks for info on the hoverfly; I've always called them beeflies, and am glad to learn they do not sting, and they eat the aphids! Larkspur is one of my favorite flowers, in case you hadn't guessed!

Theresa MacNaughton said...

Wow - everything is so beautiful! I'd never heard of hover flies - they really do look like bees. I'll have to keep my eyes open for them. We are now worrying about our tomatoes - as the groundhogs (who have always left them alone) have decided they now wish to eat them! Chewed up SIX plants. Not so good!

TARYTERRE said...

Everything is so-ooo beautiful. It was just the visual imagery I needed this afternoon to change my mood.

Studio at the Farm said...

I did not know that about a hoverfly ... live and learn. Your garden photos are gorgeous!!! May I be so bold as to ask if I could paint your Charlie Chaplin tomatoes?

Sandy Sandy Art said...

Fabulous Flora & Fauna! You are the garden guru!

Jessie said...

I'm jealous that your coneflowers are blooming already! Mine are only just starting to form buds.

Beautiful flowers! I just picked up a larkspur on clearance. It isn't nearly as pretty as yours, though. I will have to figure out where to plant it now.

Send Flowers Online said...

Wow these pics are so lush and splendid! Thanks for providing some information about hover flies.