Creatures In My Garden -- Part 1

When we first moved into this house, about seven years ago, there were hardly any interesting birds or other creatures. A groundhog used to come to eat all the pears that have fallen down from the tree. Squirrels are omnipresent in the USA and thus our house was no exception. I could hear the twittering and the singing of the birds. Honey bees would buzz around only when the rhododendrons were in bloom; and that usually happened in very early spring. There were lack of creatures because like most typical houses here, this house had some evergreen trees; some spring-bulbs and then green carpets of lawns everywhere. But, painstakingly over the years I have transformed and still transforming that garden into a wild-life oasis.

I have planted lots of native flowering plants; some non-native flowering plants; spring and summer bulbs; perennial herbs; fruits and nuts trees. I also plant annual herbs and vegetables. Each tiny (less than a foot in height and about 2 inch across) perennial plants have grown to their full capacity; they are tall and wide and fat and healthy. Each of them has taken up every inch of the garden space that was provided to them. They are crawling and climbing and some of them standing tall and erect. Such thick bushes and ground-covers have created pockets and places where various species -- birds, mammals, reptiles and insects -- take shelter or cover for safety.

Our garden has indeed become a magnet for wild-lives. It has become a bit too much, I guess, as neighbors say that now and then they see black bears passing through our yards. That's why I have stopped providing foods to birds as the food also attracts bears. Bears, deers, groundhogs, chipmunks, raccoons, birds, squirrels, rats, mouse, snakes, frogs, salamanders, stray cats and all sorts of insects are constantly visiting the garden. And, that also has created quite a danger. Luckily, I have not come face to face with any bear but I'm getting stung by bees or wasps that I can't recognize.

I walk around the garden to capture their pictures but they are too fast (or I guess camera-shy) as they fly/run/dart away as soon as I approach them. So, here are some that I could get. I feel happy to be able to provide sanctuary in this earth where habitat-destruction and ever dwindling of nature and forests have become a common place. I am not a charismatic person or a born orator that I can arouse the passion in others and lead them against climate, environment and nature destruction. So, I'm trying to do my small part in my small ways. And, it also helps me feeling a bit smug and/or snobbish as my neighbors hung all those hummingbird-feeders; none visit the feeders and neighbors ask if I've seen any humming-bird. Of course, I have -- they come, sip nectar, take rest on branches of my trees and then fly away :-).

Hummingbird: Ah! there I see some interesting flowers

Hummingbird: Let me have a drink 

Insect: Do you know me? 

Photographer: Sorry, I don't know you. Who are you? 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: I see some nice cone-flowers. Let me land

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: Yipeee...I've landed

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: Ah! sweet nectar....sweeeettt....

Photographer: Are you a yellow-jacket wasp? It seems like you are some kind of wasps but my knowledge is so poor about you guys. 

Photographer: C'mon, don't roll your eyes. Cucumbers are creatures also; okay, a different type. But do you know that plants are the number of abused living things in this world? 

Chipmunk: Dear visitors, do you see the big green evergreen bush on the right? I live underneath it. It's such a lovely home

Mother Deer: Hmm...my eye-sights are not that good but I have very good smell and hearing. And, I think I can smell something, some strange two-legged creature with a big black thing in her hand

Baby-Deer: Duh! who just want to always tag behind mom and follow her? Let me venture out a bit further and check out all those other things. 

Photographer: Are you a honey-bee or a hover-bee? Whoever you are, you are very welcome here. 

Photographer: Okay, I know people don't like you. You are not a native species and you usually destroy the Brassica family vegetables. But, I don't mind, dear cabbage-butterfly and you have not destroyed any of my cabbages yet though there are so many of you all the time fluttering around in the air. It's beautiful to see your aerial dance. 

Photographer: Hmm...Is this a carpenter-bee? Or a fly? Apparently many flies mimic the bees and wasps and only an expert can distinguish with naked eyes.

Can You See ME :)? 

I am big about 2 inches or more in length and scary

I'm not exactly sure who I'm. I think I am the Great Golden Digger Wasp.

But don't be scared of me. See, even this gentle butterfly is not afraid of me. Howdy Amigo!!

Hey! how does my butt look? 

I think I'm some kind of bees

Photographer: Sorry about a hazy picture. This is either a Monarch or a Viceroy. They look similar from side. They can only be differentiated if they spread out their wings. 

I'm a teeny-weeny cutie-pie. 

Dude! how may photos of mine will you take? Will you ever stop?? I mean seriously...

Photographer: Are you a yellow-jacket wasp that's drinking water from our pond? You then seem to be quite docile as I'm constantly breathing down your neck to take pictures and you don't seem to mind. 

Photographer: Bear in our backyard. Sorry for the hazy and not so distinct pictures as I didn't dare approach it and was trying to take the pictures quite fast :-). In the first picture, it's standing tall and eating sunflower seeds from the bird-feeders.

Observing and watching these wild lives is my meditation. I surely do forget everything as I see the birds and wasps drinking from our artificially-made small pond; butterflies fluttering; bees and wasps  hovering over flowers; bumble-bees buzzing from one flower to the next, and chipmunks darting from safe place to another. The peace and calm it brings is thousand times more powerful and effective than doing yoga or sitting in a room and practicing meditation. And how much nectar does a tiny flower has? I see bees, wasps, hummingbirds all visiting the same flower again and again!?

Now, I need your help. Anyone know who might be living here (the picture below)? It's a pot with some papers stashed into it. I see the creature every summer -- they always live in the nook and crannies like this -- stashed papers, leaf debris. Their color is exactly that of yellow-jacket -- bright yellow with those stripes. But their bodies are not of wasps. Rather much like bees -- thick and fat and hairy. It also hovers on top of flowers. But I don't think I've ever seen them sipping nectar. Rather they seem to bump into (or attack) other bees. They are very protective of their homes and will sting you and attack you. And their stings are extremely painful; itchy and the area will get swollen. They are always so fast, darting in and out that it's impossible to capture them in pictures. So, if anyone has any idea, do let me know.

I'm joining in the memes hosted by  Rambling Woods, St Germain's and Today's Flowers meme.

Hello Spring

I am having a writer's block as I didn't write for so long and thus got out of practice. Last year, I could not pay attention to my garden as I was involved in lots of voluntary work, teaching programming to kids or helping non-profit organizations along with my own work and research. Even my neighbors told me that he missed enjoying all the sunflowers that grow along his side of the yard, and picking up big pumpkins. All these neglect has resulted in a yard that requires too much work, de-weeding, pruning and planting. And, I need to complete all these in between my work and travel. But, at last, I'm glad that I can do such thing. We had our last snow (hopefully fingers crossed) on March 31st. It was a very strange snowy-day as it started with rain-snow (or snow-rain whatever you want to call it) which was very strange to watch. It was raining but the rain was not water but wet-snow. So, if you looked outside, you will see a curtain of rain but thick curtain of rain (thus you won't be able to see much further out as you can easily do even in big downpours); however, it was not a curtain of snow. So, you have to use all your imagination to understand this strange-looking weather-phenomena.

But since then spring is trying to come back here with all its vigor. Though the night temperature is often falling below freezing but the days are usually gorgeous with bright sunny, fluffy white clouds on a blue sky, and temperature hovering between 55 and 60 F (between 13 to 15 degree C). Finches, American Robins, Doves and Canadian Geese are back. Air is always filled with songs and whistles of our various feather-friends, who I also see tugging into my dried/dead lawn grass, leaves, twigs and branches to find materials for their homes. Crocuses are blooming; daffodils, hyacinths and spring bulbs are out. And, I am busy planting, pruning, buying and ordering more bulbs, seeds, plants and trees. This year I am focusing on flowers/plants which not only attract bees but also butterflies, moths and hummingbirds.

Mill Creek Apiaries and Liberty Farm

What a wonderful three hours of time we had yesterday (Sunday, August 11). Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my mother's passing away and I was mentally down. But all my woes and depression went away as soon as I set foot on the farm for the field-day celebration.

The field day was organized by David Kunz of Mill Creek Apiaries , an extremely-knowledgeable and honest bee-keeper. His farm is a family-owned, small-scale bee farm in NJ. They use essential oils and natural methods to take care of their hives. They have an adopt-a-hive program, and through it, we have adopted a bee-hive. No, they will not be located in our garden, though they do allow such opportunities. It is just a program for those who want to support local sustainability and are concerned about the pollinators.

The field-day takes place on various farms. So, yesterday it took place on Liberty farm, owned by Raj Sinha and his wife. The farm was an old, abandoned farm dating back from 1790 and beyond (the exact date of the beginning of the farm is not known, but municipal record shows that tax was paid for the farm house in 1790). It still has those old buildings and barns with beautiful round roofs. It is about 40 acres.

It was a beautiful farm. A small farm-stand sits on the left side as you enter the farm. It has fresh produce that were picked on the morning only. It's based on honor system; no one is there to monitor you; you take the vegetables/fruits and then put the money in a box. The farm has some chickens and ducks, and some of the bee-hives of David. Only small portion of the farm is cultivated for corn and vegetables. Most of the other portion is restored to natural habitat. The owners are working with USDA to create vernal pool, restore the creeks and water bodies of Little Flatbrook that border the farm; Little Flatbrook is considered one of the top native trout streams in NJ. All the invasive species are being cleared away, and in its place the native trees are planted.

Native flowers and wild flowers are everywhere in the farm. Many orchards, fruit and nut trees can be found in the farm. We saw so many butterflies of humongous size -- bright reddish-orange, yellow, black with blue marks and the common cabbage butterflies. Frogs, dragon-flies, bees and other flying-and-buzzing insects were everywhere. Native grasses ran wild there. Weeds and wild native plants were everywhere and there lied the beauty of that farm.

Raj Sinha and his wife does not use any sort of chemical to do commercial farming. They do not use any kind of GMO seeds. They harvest most of their vegetables, to be sold commercially in markets and farm-stands through-out NJ, by hand!!!!!!!!!!!!(I can't put enough exclamation as they have large tracts of lands to harvest). The farm actually didn't look like farm but rather a natural wild-life habitat with weeds running wild. I do small-scale farming for our own consumption in our backyard, and I always thought that weeds were bad for growing vegetables. That's why I would painstakingly try to rip out, by hand, one weed at a time. But after seeing the farm yesterday and tasting the vegetables, I don't think I will ever be so adamant about weeds taking up my vegetable bed. It was uplifting and joyous to see farming being done in such a natural and environmental-friendly way.

The farm grows a corn, called Mirai or something, that is simply out of this world. We never knew that corn can be so sweet. I am not exaggerating but the corns were tender and sweet-as honey. Every one in the group were astounded to taste it and we all brought pick-your-own-corn. We cannot seem to have enough of it -- we ate some in the farm; then we ate some while driving back to home; we also ate some in the breakfast. The corn is so tender that one has to pick it by hand, else it will get bruised; it cannot also be cooked for long; it's best eaten raw or just heated for a minute or so in the microwave. None of us knew that a whole corn can be eaten raw like that and taste sweeter than honey!! Peaches were also delicious -- soft and full of juice. Honestly, nothing beats the taste of freshly picked fruits and vegetables, no matter how much organic you buy from market. We also buy organic but organic tomatoes and freshly-picked tomatoes -- they are further apart than north and south pole are. The bears and deers also know that. They destroy huge portion of the farm produce.

Well, I have been constantly talking about the farm though the focus of the day was bee and bee-hives. Well, what more can I say other than that I was astounded by the knowledge of the bee-keeper and the calmness of bees. I always thought that bees were ferocious creatures. That's the idea I and most people around me were brought up with. That's why I always saw bees were being killed if any were found. Now that I do gardening, I have to do a lot of work among them but still I respect them and keep a respectable distance away from them. Yesterday, David was taking the hives away from the box, brushing the bees away and doing all sorts of things, and we -- children and old -- were standing around unprotected (I put on a half-bee protection suit that David gave; I always wanted to don those and didn't give away the opportunity when I got one yesterday :-D), and none of the bees did anything to us. They were such gentle!!

David demonstrated a lots of things to us -- how queen bees are captured, how they are put in a hive in a protective cage, at first, so that the worker-bee does not attack; he showed us the various bees in a colony -- drone, queen and the workers and the living quarters of each of them. The living quarters of drones look very different from those of queens. He showed us the hives where baby-bees were being produced. He made us taste fresh honey from the hive. He gave us live demonstrations, as much as possible, and told us about everything -- how queens would be put in a hive, how she will produce the babies, how worker bees will take care of the queen and the babies, how everything is sequenced so that the bees keep on working and producing honey and how cares have to be taken so that the bees do not form swarm and fly away -- just too much information. I should have taken a pen and a notebook to write everything down. Do you know that bee-pollen and bee-honey are too different things?

Bee pollen is just the pollen of the flowers and is full of protein. Bee honey is the nectar of the flower that the bee take, then regurgitates, fan out the excess moisture and produce that thick honey. Huh! I am trying to imagine all the bees moving their wings and fanning out the water from the nectar -- isn't this amazing? They also produce another thing which completely glues the hive-boxes together -- it's a sticky, brownish material, and David had to really pry open those boxes.

Though David has not yet suffered from Colony Collapse Disorder, but he was agreeing with the fact that too much misuse of chemicals is one of the reasons for CCD. My respect for bee-keepers and organic farmers gained more momentum yesterday. It was a sheer delight to see their work places and their work, listen to their philosophies and watch their practices. Thank You to both Mr. David Kunz and Mr. Raj Sinha for not only making a field-day wonderful but also for working hard to sustain all of us.