BeeBums in the Sedum and Wasps in the Fennel

This is a carrot patch test I did the other day...If you look you can see three kinds of carrots. I am rather disappointed with the oxheart carrots. I was promised large fat carrots some up to 1 lb! The first time I planted them they didn't come up. The second time was in early june...and all they did was make little stubs...hardly anything at all. The foliage on all was very lush and big and green, but I am a little unimpressed compared to last year's harvest.

http://gardenmom29.blogspot.com/2008/10/canned-veggies-naked-crabs-and-packed.html

Of course there will be a lot of them...but I was hoping to see giant carrots. I guess I could wait a few more weeks, but they have been in there long enough...they should be ready by now.

The bees and wasps are really going crazy in my garden right now. I have always had a lot, but it has just been nuts lately. The wasps are digging my fennel. I saw at least 5 different species of wasp on this plant at one time. I have two kinds of black ones, one with shiny blue on it, and a brownish white one, and two different ones that look like your standard wasp. They tolerate each other, because they really like fennel, but if one tries to get on the same 'landing pad' as another, they buzz each other until one leaves. Sometimes they can sit together on the same pad if they are the same kind. I have never stood so close to wasps without being afraid. They act like I am not even there though.

This is the bronze fennel, which they also like, but it isn't quite as opened up as the regular one yet. I don't think I have ever seen it get so big. Both of them are as tall as I am...and wider across. The regular fennel is standing behind the bronze in this picture.

They are pretty, but I can't quite be comfortable around them.

The Beebums (remember, my son's toddler version of bumblebees, now it is a family word) are FLIPPED OUT over my sedum. They crawl all over it, all day long. I took a little video showing how many there were. It is allergy season for me, so excuse my congestion.





This guy was completely huge. He was about as big around as my thumb. He was having a good ol' time.

And this is my new hosta bed. What? You can't see it? Look, right there in the middle. That is my earth angel hosta that is right now the sole occupant of the new hosta/shade bed. It is under two trees, so hopefully it will retain its blue color. Later I put a few bricks around him to make sure my guy didn't mow him down, but I am not going to really build 'the bed' until spring. I just thought I'd sink him in the ground and get him going. Evidently he gets big, so he has plenty of space to expand right now!