"Phil L" wrote in message
. uk...
Sacha wrote:
Something new to this particular spot - the leaf cutter bee! Ray and
Matthew were out in the nursery earlier this evening and saw a leaf
cutter bee doing its thing on the rose Mde. Isaac Pereire. On closer
inspection, there are several semi-circular bits taken out of this
plant, which is growing over a pergola in the nursery. But
interestingly, this is opposite the area in which other roses are
kept for sale. The only rose in pots with holes out of its leaves is
the very same one. All the others have been ignored.
Does anyone here happen to know what gets the bee to concentrate on
one particular plant?

Not an expert on bees but I've uncovered dozens of their offspring rolled
up
in leaves when I've been replacing bricks on top of a garden wall, maybe
they want only leaves that retain some elasticity or water repellency?
- certainly the ones I've found have been weeks old (the young were
almost
fully formed) and the leaves were very fresh, almost as if they had been
plucked that day, but obviously they must have been there weeks.



With us its wisteria leaves, if you are close enough to watch the bee in
action, its a most extraordinary noise then they take off using the piece a
bit like a surf board!

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)