Our Buddies in the Garden

Submitted by szgarvey on

When you venture into your pollinator garden, look for the beauty, color, diversity and the intensity that surrounds you. You will be astounded.

  • A honey bee nectaring on lavender in a soft-pastel scenario.
  • A katydid nymph crawling (backlit) on a blanketflower, Gaillardia.
  • A Gulf Fritillary butterfly, Agraulis vanillae, nectaring on Lantana
  • A praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata, perched on a Cosmo 
  • A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, exiting a lavender patch. 

You're the gardener, and you'll be using your garden tools...pruning shears, spade, trowel, garden fork, hoe, hand rake...

But another good garden tool--and an indispensable one--is the camera. You just never know when a buddy shows up in the garden...

A honey bee nectars on lavender in a Vacaville garden. The soft pastel colors almost resemble a painting. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee nectars on lavender in a Vacaville garden. The soft pastel colors almost resemble a painting. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A katydid nymph crawls on a blanketflower, Gaillaria. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A katydid nymph crawls on a blanketflower, Gaillaria. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Gulf Fritillary butterfly, Agraulis vanillae, nectaring on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Gulf Fritillary butterfly, Agraulis vanillae, nectaring on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata, perched on a Cosmo and looking for prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata, perched on a Cosmo and looking for prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Goodbye! A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, exits a lavender patch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Goodbye! A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, exits a lavender patch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Source URL: https://ccfruitandnuts.ucanr.edu/blog/bug-squad/article/our-buddies-garden