Monday's Posy and Red Mason Bees

 A quick tiptoe down the garden this morning, and here are a few early blooms having a drink before being taken to Janice's this morning.  Several knitting friends met up and we had a lovely morning together chatting, and watching a DVD on Fair Isle Knitting.

Flowers in this one are the Perennial cornflower:  the blue one is Centaurea Montana, and the white one Centaurea Montana Alba.  I love its other name Mountain Knapweed, and the shape of the flower held above the soft velvety leaves.

A few stems of fragrant Lily of the Valley, and stems of Ajuga reptans atropurpurea,  couple of leaves of Astilbe Chinensis pumila variety, and a self sown primula complete the posy.  The vase is one my father bought during his travels in Japan in the 1960s and the Chinese terracotta soldier is one we brought back from our visit to the excavations in the 1990s.

 I had to snatch these blooms from under the very noses of the bees, 'Red Mason Bee', Osmia bicornis which are now filling up both the little houses on the wall by the kitchen.  There are many more for them to visit...the garden is buzzing, and the butterflies too are out today.