Dragonfly

Saw this dragonfly this morning.  Perhaps he hatched in our pond.  He waited patiently while I tried several times to get a close up shot.  Nice guy.

Perle D'Azur

Perle D'Azur on July 30

Clematis are at their best in July.  Even though they do not feed bees, I can't do without them in my garden.

Some of the oldest varieties are still the best.  Here's a picture of Perle D'Azur in bloom this July.  It is really strutting its stuff this summer.  That plant is about 10 years old and just keeps producing.

Perle D'Azur is an older variety.  It's been around for years.  One web-site notes that the variety came out of France and was first known in 1885.

The clematis grows easily and will extend over 10 ft.  It's a beauty.

European Paper Wasp?

Saw this wasp on the milkweed this morning.  My ID may not be perfect, but the markings look like it is a European Paper Wasp.  Have they migrated this far from their first discovery in NA in Massachusetts in 1981?  Was found in Michigan in 1994, so I guess it is possible that the wasp may have migrated to Ontario by now.

Sweat Bee?

While working in the garden today, I was visited by a little bee.  He appeared to want to stay on my arm.  After I transferred him to a flower, he came back.

He must be a sweat bee to be so enamored with my skin.

Looked him up and he appears to be Halictus ligatus.  Wow.  Imagine that!

Thanks to Mike for taking the photo with his iphone.