Juniper hairstreak on a purple pansy.

Bumblebee leaving a pink penstemon, probably a hybrid between P. palmeri and P. pseudospectabilis. Both species thrive and self-sow all over the garden and now there’s a whole range of pinks between the pale, almost-white palmeri and the vibrant pseudospectabilis.

Honeybee face-deep in Gallardia.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, hosting company and working on a deadline. The roller-coaster is moving so fast that I have to look at my pictures to remind myself that I am spending time in the garden. These are the image picks of the day and I can hardly wait for time on the weekend to sort through recent weeks of bees. Bees in the garden, bees in the mountains. A whirlwind of planting, seeds and seedlings; small green tomatoes on the Early Girls, tiny peppers on jalapeños and sweets. The yard has burst into impossible bloom; impossibly beautiful and impossible to catalog in haste. Patiently taking pictures every few days, gathering images like the bees gather pollen, for subsistence through the darker days. Solstice tomorrow marks the peak of the long spring climb; summer freefall follows.