Bee balmy weather #phenology

Bee balm at Coffee Talk

Photo by J. Harrington

The local roads are clogged with runners and bicyclists for a triathlon. We wended our way through the traffic to Coffee Talk in Taylors Falls and then, after coffee and being motivated by the coffee shop's gardens, to a local nursery where I purchased:

• Three Asclepias tuberosa


• One Echinacea hybrida (Cheyenne Spirit)
  


• One Lobelia Cardinalis


• One Monarda didyma, and


• One Monarda 'Marshall's Delight'

The Better Half testily chased me away while she weeded (patience not being one of my strong points) and now all the listed flora are planted in the northeast corner of the front of the house as a small butterfly, bee and hummingbird garden. It seems to me it's too warm and humid to be digging and planting (let alone biking or running any distance) but I remembered that "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now" – Chinese Proverb? I assume what's good for trees also works for flowers. (Do you suppose the same thing is true of running a triathalon? I hope they scheduled the swim last.)

Bee at Coffee Talk Bee Balm

Photo by J. Harrington

The bee balm-bergamot (Monardas) were still in their pots awaiting planting when the bees arrived. I found that impressive. With luck, next Summer I'll get to note the dates of the first blooms and watch for hummers and flutterbyes. For this year I'm remembering that the downy woodpeckers were using the oriole feeder more than the orioles but less than the ruby-throated hummingbirds. I wonder if it makes sense to put the oriole feeder back up with an ant moat and a limited supply of home-made nectar or, if the commercial stuff doesn't ferment(?) try some of that. Something else to look into one of these days.

Bane

By Wendy Videlock

Full of strength and laced

with fragility:

the thoroughbred,

the hummingbird,

and all things

cursed

with agility.

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