Posts Tagged: Gretchen LeBuhn

Bed and Breakfast for a Bumble Bee

We just met a male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus. It was early morning and he was resting on a blanket flower (Gaillardia), a brilliant member of the sunflower family. When you're a bee, a blanket flower offers both bed and...

Male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, resting on a blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, resting on a blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Dorsal view of a male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, on a blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Dorsal view of a male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, on a blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, tastes the nectar from a blanket flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, tastes the nectar from a blanket flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bee Friendly, Bee Happy and Bee Healthy

Sometimes when you walk through a bee garden, you feel Mother Nature tugging at your arm, pulling you from one breathtaking area to another. You resist the tug and want to linger, to admire the diversity of bees, to marvel at the colors and patterns of...

A bumble bee and a honey bee sharing teasel in the Kate and Ben Frey Garden, Hopland, Mendocino County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A bumble bee and a honey bee sharing teasel in the Kate and Ben Frey Garden, Hopland, Mendocino County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The lovely garden at the home of Kate and Ben Frey in Hopland.

The lovely garden at the home of Kate and Ben Frey in Hopland.

Rounding a corner in the Kate and Ben Frey garden at their home in Hopland, Calif. Ben installed the drip irrigation system in the one-acre garden.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rounding a corner in the Kate and Ben Frey garden at their home in Hopland, Calif. Ben installed the drip irrigation system in the one-acre garden.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Kate Frey serves as a consultant for the pollinator gardens (shown) at the Lynmar Estate Winery, Sebastopol.

Kate Frey serves as a consultant for the pollinator gardens (shown) at the Lynmar Estate Winery, Sebastopol.

Another view of the pollinator gardens at Lynmar Estate Winery, Sebastopol. Kate Frey serves as the consultant.

Another view of the pollinator gardens at Lynmar Estate Winery, Sebastopol. Kate Frey serves as the consultant.

Calendaring the North American Bees

This is no ordinary calendar. We just previewed the second annual North American Native Bee calendar and it's just absolutely spectacular. Created by UC Berkeley-alumnus Celeste Ets-Hokin, a native bee advocate from the San Francisco Bay Area, the...

North American Bee Calendar

THIS is a preview of the North American Bee Calendar, created by native bee enthusiast Celeste Ets-Hokin of the San Francisco Bay Area. Proceeds benefit the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation and the Great Sunflower Project.

Sunny Sunflowers

If you enjoy sunflowers--and the seeds and oil--thank a bee.Sunflowers, native to the Americas, are spectacular, especially when you encounter a field of them. If you look closely, you'll see honey bees, sunflower bees and bumble bees working the...

Sunflower Field

HEADS of sunflowers follow the sun in what scientists call heliotropism. These sunflowers are in a field off Pedrick Road, Dixon, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bee Hives

BEE HIVES line a sunflower field along Pedrick Road, Dixon, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey Bee

HONEY BEE forages on a sunflower head. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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