Purple Passion!

Bees don't care if it's lavender, fuchsia,  or nearly black, they love the purple blooms!

Peony at Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh 

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

Union Canal Path, Edinburgh

Roadside, Sarlat-la-Caneda France

Thistle make great honey!

The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland and, as an ancient Celtic symbol, represents noble character! These flowering plants are plentiful in Scotland, in the city as well as rural areas. Thistle plants have flowers along with sharp prickles to protect themselves from being eaten, but the flowers are a rich source of nectar attracting all kinds of insects, and the bees especially love them!

Union Canal Thistle Bee

Arthur's Seat Thistle Moth

Union Canal Thistle Bee

Arthur's Seat Thistle Bee

Bees in Bells

I am fascinated over and over again by the variety of shapes, colors, and wonderful smells in any outdoor landscape or garden!
Here are a few "bell-shaped" blossoms. There are bees are in the foxglove and prickly pear (you'll need a good eye to spot her!), but I've never seen the other pink bell flower before.  If you know its name, please comment :)

Edinburgh, Scotland

Monpazier, France

Perigueux, France

Tuscon, Arizona

Clover Bees

A clover without a bee is like a hug without a kiss! 

Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

Monpazier, France Medieval Garden

Sarlat, France Public Garden

Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

Château de Losse

This time of year, there are so many beautiful gardens to visit! Each blossom is breathtaking, its beauty only enhanced by a fuzzy, flighty bee. These lovely shots are from the Château de Losse along the Vézère River in the South-West of France.

Pretty in Pink!

Just too pretty not to share...Some bees, some blossoms!

Pollen baskets are looking good!

Cotton candy tree...

Coming in for a landing!

Bee-hinds

One of the tricky thing about photographing bees is their speed! Sometimes I can't see them, but I can hear them so I just point and shoot in that direction. Other times, I can see them, or the one whose picture I'd like to take, but the girls are in a hurry and don't like to pose very long...

On a few recent attempts, I've ended up with only bee-hinds! Can you spot them?

Bee-hind on the walk to Temniac, France.

Bee-hind in the public garden at Domme, France.

Bee-hind in the wisteria, Sarlat, France.

Temniac Blooms

It was a beautiful day for a walk from Sarlat to Temniac and so many blooms to see along the way! The crab apple trees were humming with bees, I couldn't resist trying to catch the image. Looking into the sun with the camera, I didn't know what would appear. When I got home, each picture had a bee in it! Lucky day :)

Purple Iris - reminds me of my Grandma's garden...

Happy Spring '13!

I've got the first bee spotting of 2013, so it must be time to post :) These gardens are too beautiful not to include...This is a simple "green space" near our hotel in Bordeaux, France. It's unbelievable, especially coming form snow at home!

There were even roses blooming in this little oasis.

I visited the public gardens which were breathtaking, and bright with splashes of color...

Best part of the day, a bee working hard on a pansy!