Did you ever notice how nature reuses design ideas in the plant and animal worlds? Like making the center of this cosmos look so much like a bumble bee--or is it a yellow jacket? This has been a good summer for bees (and wasps) in my garden, and just now they seem exceptionally busy. So far I have managed to avoid stings, but I suppose one day soon I will happen onto a nest and enrage these otherwise peaceful creatures. If this has never happened to you, you might not be aware that yellow jackets build ground nests as autumn approaches. Should you see a small hole which you might take for the work of a mole, it probably was at one time, but now it may well be inhabited by yellow jackets. Avoid these holes at all costs. Chances are that the wasps won't bother you if you don't bother them. I made the mistake of running over one of these small holes with the lawn mower a couple of summers back, which is how I learned just how angry yellow jackets can get. They stung me several times, then followed me as I ran to the house (screaming) and then followed me inside to sting me some more. Despite this kind of way-too-close encounter with apian friends, I continue to marvel at the sight of bees--and even wasps--in the garden--especially the stingless variety in the center of the cosmos.