Bamboo bees
I'll try not to sound too much like Jerry Seinfeld this morning but, "What's the deal with bamboo?" For us, it does two things rather effectively around the homestead. It forms a great buffer between our backyard deck area and the the street that passes in front of the house. It is a magnificent muffler of road traffic sounds. Come winter, it dies off leaving nothing but the stiff rotted poles. Each spring it has a rebirth and comes back thick and as strong as ever. Don't fight it. Nothing kills it. Not even dog urine and that, I hear, kills everything. The other thing that bamboo does is attract bees rather well. It flowers in mid-August, and like clockwork the bushes are buzzing come Labor Day weekend. The bees must wear tiny bee wristwatches that have the August calendar attached. It is amazing how they return. This summer, on many of the blogs I check, I heard refrains about the diminishing numbers of bees and butterflies. Well, I'm not a scientist; however, I have played one of TV--- one of the "Doctors of Love" around Valentines' Day on a cable access channel (honest!), and this wouldn't be a very scientific poll, but based on my bamboo bee visits this summer, the population of the flying pollinators are doing just fine, thank you.
I saw no decrease in their numbers
They covered the white flowers.
And yes, they make quite a racket with all that buzzin'.
There, that's my gift to science for September!
They visit you because you are are believer and never tell them to buzz off. Some interesting tidbits about bamboo.
ReplyDeleteFantastic. Just think of all that honey they are making. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to know "your" bees are OK. Lovely plant!
ReplyDeleteBees keep on coming around here too.Nothing can kill bamboo, that's true , but bamboo is able to " kill ", buildings that are too near its roots, by example .
ReplyDeleteI'll have to join in on your scientific research. The bee population in the desert doesn't seem diminished either.
ReplyDeleteBrings back memories of a bamboo grove in the backyard of a neighbors' yard growing up. It was impenetrable.
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear you have ample bamboo and bees Birdman :)
ReplyDeleteYay for the bees!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of bamboo as having flowers. There have been fewer bees around on my roof garden this year.
ReplyDeleteActually Japanese Knotweed..
ReplyDeleteAnd here I didn't know bamboo grows here. I have seen bees more in August than earlier in the summer.
ReplyDeleteThat is where all the pollinators have gone! To your deck!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful plant.
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