Busy Bees

The crabapple tree has outdone itself this year! It's so gorgeous and fragrant! I wish I could just put a chair under it, or a quilt, and read or nap. The reason I can't? The tree actually sounds like it is buzzing. there are so many bees!

I was able to get a really good shot of a bee hard at work in the tree. I am glad there are so many bees- they will pollinate my apple trees!

This was the 10th flower this bee landed on as I watched him! Watching the bees made me feel lazy. Even though I have been up since 5am and working non-stop- laundry (hung on the clothesline) bread baking, and I've been outside most of the morning, working on the gardens!

Here is the newly filled "kitchen garden" bed! It took 12 wheelbarrows full of dirt and 3 bags of composted manure to fill it. We had this totally useless space in front of the house that was impossible to mow... so I covered it with plastic and mulch for 2 years! It killed all the grass and weeds. Now I have the bed there, surrounded by mulch. I'm going to plant lettuce, spinach, radishes and carrots in it. It's right by the front door, perfect for picking salads in the summer!

I also got the cantaloupe, zucchini and some radishes planted. The cantaloupe and zucchini have their own little mini beds outside the garden fence- there isn't room for them inside it! This way I can train them out into the yard. I plan to do the same with the pumpkins. The radishes were planted among the broccoli. They will be long gone by the time the broccoli is big enough to shade the whole bed, and the radishes will help keep the soil loosened for the broccoli!

Now I'm headed back out to plant my sunflower "field". I am going to try to get some seeds for roasting. I love sunflower and pumpkin seeds, roasted with just a hint of salt! It's a fantastic fall and winter snack, and good for you, too!