Bzzz, Bzzz, Bzzz …
I discovered this week that insects are a hidden source of incredible beauty in the garden, once you get a good, close-up view. For example, this Two-spotted Bumble Bee (above) is, dare I say, adorable. On top of that, these and other gorgeous, tiny bugs, known as the “little things that run the world”, are the most important reason to plant natives.
Why has it taken me so long to come to this deeper appreciation? Haven’t I been a follower of Professor Tallamy’s work for years? I think their tiny size hides their beauty, and identity, unless you really work at seeing them, and it took me this long to put in the effort. Very much like birds, but more so.
It all started when I decided that if I could get pictures of small birds, I could get pictures of small bugs too. My iPhone takes excellent close up landscape photos, so I started with that. The pictures were disappointingly blurry. I was at a loss, but Kathy, who often has useful things stashed away, suggested trying a macro lens she bought many years ago to photograph wildflowers in Alaska. She adjusted the camera settings, and after a blissfully short period of time, the pictures were surprisingly crisp, clear and vibrant. They revealed a whole new world of bug beauty and provided a way to figure out what they were (via upload to iNaturalist). I was completely enthralled!
Below are Two-spotted Bumble Bees which are all over the garden, along with the more rare – and distinctive – Tricolored Bumble Bee (bottom right). Who knew?
A Ground Yellowjacket (below left), with its delicate, paper thin wings looks almost magical in the Tamarac. A Western Honey Bee (below, top right) is pollinating the tulip-like flowers of the Ornamental Onion. A Gold-marked Thread-waisted Wasp (don’t bugs have the coolest names?) was in the Goldenrod.
A Common Flower Fly (below left) is checking out the Liatris, while a Bald-faced Hornet (below right) literally glows in the Goldenrod.
For me, learning the names of the insects in the garden, and then being able to learn about them – their value as pollinators, their life cycle, their abundance – really changes how I feel about them. They’ve moved from the things which might bite me and cause me to itch for days, to stunning and essential parts of the garden we created (even if some of them still might bite or sting).
I’ve noticed in other gardens that as colorful, showy and delightful as non-native flowers can be, the bees aren’t buzzing around them. Adding a few flowering native plants to the garden can open up this new world!