I was watching this bee atop a rudbeckia flower. He was heavily laden with pollen, indicating a very busy morning, but he was going around the top of the seed head in a circle. When I looked a little closer, I saw that there is a ring of small yellow florets that he seemed to be following like a pathway. Curious. I then read that bees eyes allow them to see UV light, and when they look at a flower they see a pattern which is called a nectar guide. On a rudbeckia the bee sees rings not unlike a bull's eye, leading to the centre ring where the nectar is. How efficient is that?
Since we, well I, am on the subject of pollinators, I decided to see if there was a preference shown between the two upright sedum varieties now blooming. This one is light pink with pale green leaves and might be called Sapphire.
This one is the ubiquitous Autumn Joy, which is a deeper pink and has darker green leaves. Sedum are drought-proof, thrive wherever they are planted, and are bee magnets. When I looked at my own plants, both varieties seemed equally busy. When I looked online I discovered two things; one is that gardeners have really strong preferences, and the other is that there could be a lot more sedum variety in my garden.
My snapdragons are are still in bloom, and while generally considered an annual, if you leave them to go to seed, they will bless you by turning up again next spring in the same spot and maybe they will surprise you by sprouting someplace else. Some folks consider this an old-fashioned plant, but having been a staple in every garden I ever remember, that is precisely why it still brings me joy. A velvety gem, a sweet memory.
The hydrangea shrub has gradually changed over the past week from creamy white to an ever deepening pink. This shows the two types of flowers that are a common characteristic of hydrangeas; the small inner ones, and the outer showier flowers It is thought that the name "hydrangea" comes from the combining of two Greek words, one for water, and one for jar or vessel. Clearly this cluster does not demonstrate a posture for holding water effectively.
The lavender flowers are gone but a few seed pods remain. I rub my hands over the foliage and sniff for some quick aromatherapy. The pods are delicately shaped and make me think of coral. I am hoping that the tiny seeds have been dispersed in the garden and I'll see some fresh clumps in the spring. Something to anticipate.
The climbing rose is still blossoming which is a wonder to me. I don't know whether we had a smaller Japanese beetle population this year or the extra rain this year ensured a healthier plant. Whatever the reason, it is a lovely treat, and there are big rosehips growing in behind the "stars" that are left as the petals fall away.
While some of the songbirds have left the region already, the year round birds are very busy. This goldfinch is beginning his fall molt which will give him a muted wardrobe of olive for the winter. In the spring he will molt again so that he can look his best for the ladies. In the mean time he is enjoying the seed heads in the garden and on the roadsides. 
A giant spider has taken up residence in the japanese maple. The web he has spun is cleverly placed in the runway of incoming insects looking to feed on the sedum and rudbeckia. I watched with morbid fascination as a hapless bee hit the web. The spider descended and in an instant had the bee rolled up and carried aloft for a later meal. Not long after a bumblebee got entangled but I loosed him from his bonds and deposited him on the ground to recover. No need to be greedy (or get any larger in my view).
It was brought to my attention by a kindly neighbour, that there seems to be an overabundance of seed cones in the evergreen treetops this fall. This led me to take notice of the top of our blue spruce, and lo, at the top, about four storeys up there are a lot of cones. Now apparently this a foreshadowing of, you guessed it, a heavy (insert w-word here). Being a curious sort I checked it out and found that there was also a bumper crop in 2010, and the senior research scientist at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, said that crops like these are the result of three years growth. He said that if the tree produces cones on an unpredictable cycle, the insect predators cannot adjust and so it is likely that every three to seven years it would be a good to have a folder of pine cone craft ideas at the ready.
"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. - Nathaniel Hawthorne
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