Ready for bees!

Two flower gardens planted and bee house up. Bees were around while I was planting so I have high hopes!

I counted on mason bees but I don't know if they really are in Florida due to the humidity (I am getting mixed info on the web about it), so I am going to participate in the University of Florida's Native Buzz project, documenting and ID'ing the solitary bees I get.

I'm excited!

Since I planted I seemed to instantly attract butterflies too!

The flowers are hanging out with my pineapple and aloe.





See the viewing feature on the side? The wood panel slides out to reveal the inside of 2 bee tubes behind plexiglass.





See my previous post to view the flowers I previously planted. The bees should have plenty of reasons to stay in my area and use the house. One other thing I'm not sure about though.. is it the beginning, middle, or end of bees season? Well, either way, plenty of bees are around. But if they already have nests, then I may have to wait for residents next year.

Also, a few of the watermelon sprouts got stem rot, but I have some strong ones too and they are starting to vine along the ground. Pics coming soon, once they get a little bigger.

Solitary Mason Bees

I have begun an hobby of keeping solitary mason bees!

Here is a video all about them:
http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/solitary-bees-pollinators/

The bee house is being shipped. It's a 20-tube house with an observation window (basically the window is plexiglass with a piece of wood that slides over it, so it remains dark for the bees until you want to view). I did get it through the company on the video, Crown Bees, which sells through Amazon.

Here is the bee house I ordered:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G7Q1F6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There were nicer bee houses to choose from but I really want the observation window, especially since this is my first time keeping bees.

Step 1 was to add native (flowering) plants to the landscape. I have alot out front but not too many in back where the house will be, so I planted a ring of pentas around the bird bath.



I have more flowers to plant (coneflowers, blanket flowers, black eyed susan), but I don't know where to put them yet.



Here are some shots of the front of the house where I know the bees will have a field day.







Pentas:






I might move this plumbago to the back...

Watermelon

I started a watermelon garden! Check it out!



About 5 days later:



Started tomatoes in pots. Beds are a no no since the episode of fusarium wilt.



Transplanted an unproductive pepper from spring from the bed to a pot, after a friend told me peppers are solitary. Now it's doing great!