Bees, please!

Last spring, a sunflower-seed-craving bear took a swipe at our backyard bird feeder.  To cover up the pole, I decided that runner beans would be a good solution.  Normally, I would have planted Scarlet Runner seeds but, by the time I got to the store they were all out of that variety.  I bought a cousin named Painted Lady.  The store helper assured me that the beans were very similar.

Now, she's blooming.  Isn't she pretty?  But, all along the blossom stems where I expected to see little beans forming, are nothing but stems from the old flowers as they drop off.  What is happening?  A bad seed batch?

Aha!  Maybe this is the answer.  Around the front, the globe thistles have captured the bees attention.  The heads are covered with bees foraging for what must be some pretty wonderful nectar.  Of course, when I went to get the camera, they refused to perform.  Here is one busy fellow... but they were just one to a blossom and I couldn't herd them together.

Later in the afternoon, I went back to the beans.    I spied a little bean.  And another.  And yet another.  

Thank you, bees.  We may have a crop after all.