Ghost Bees

By an edhat reader

Hollyhock bloom time is winding down now, but a couple weeks ago the Hollyhock nectar and pollen production were at an all-time high. Not so very long ago, I was out in my garden and caught a glimpse of a ghostly shape flitting past me. My first thought was, “What is this white thing I have never seen before?”

Upon closer inspection, I began to laugh in delight when it became apparent that what I had seen was a honeybee swathed in pollen grains. The bee was layered in so many pollen grains, she had been transformed from her natural colors of brown and gold to an almost completely creamy white. An intricate and lacework outfit for a bee——like a princess dress. 

It is these surprising and sublime little garden moments that make working with flowers and fruit trees such a pleasure.