

Bee Hotel a Deathtrap?
Before you put up a bee hotel, think about the environment you are creating. And be prepared to maintain a clean, healthy environment for...


Progress update on our field cleanup
Every day I work in the field and other areas of the yard. The field is quite dry with a lot of dried grass, and oodles of fennel plants....


Butterflies in the dry field
It's been very interesting to observe many butterflies visiting the dry field in the back of our new residence. The field is currently...


And now they are chrysalides
So far, we have discovered two monarch chrysalides around the patio. This one attached itself to the bottom lip of a large flower pot....


Summer Long-Horned bee hotel
I have been checking every evening at sunset the Pozo Blue sage to see how many Summer Long-Horned male bees are sleeping on the dried...


Summer Long-Horned Bees are back
Yay! They are back! Every year I plant sunflowers from seedlings for pollinators. And I have to admit that the main pollinators I have in...


Leaf cutting bees handiwork
There must be some leaf cutting bee Megachilidae nests near by, judging from all of the circular cutouts in these leaves. You can see...


Native wildflowers springing up in the garden
What a delight it is to discover native wildflowers in different parts of the front yard! Late last autumn I sprinkled native wildflower...


Yellow-faced Bumble Bee and a California Poppy
Oh what a lovely sight! California poppies are blooming in the yard and the Yellow-faced bumble bees Bombus vosnesenskii are back,...