Blooming in my garden: Monarda (Bee balm)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

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Lily and Monarda

Sounds like a law firm name, doesn’t it? Actually, if it were really a law firm’s name, it would go something like: “Good morning. Thank you for calling Lily, Lily, Monarda, Liatris, Shasta, Gallardia, Nepeta, Platycodon and Campion, LLP. This is Rose speaking. How may I direct your call?”

Ah, this takes me back to temping in my younger days when I first moved to the D.C. area. One of my better paying assignments was an $8 per hour job answering the phone at the Copper and Brass Fabricators Council, Inc. I was supposed to answer the phone with, “Good morning, Copper and Brass Fabricators Council. How may I direct your call?” I figured the person on the other end was as annoyed with receiving that lengthy line as I was delivering it. After a few weeks, I got lax and just answered, “Copper and Brass.” What does all this have to do with flowers, you ask? Absolutely nothing.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blooming in my garden: White Liatris

White Liatris (Liatris spicata ‘Alba’) photographed against a backdrop of magenta-colored Bee Balm (Monarda)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bumblebee on Bee Balm

Bee Balm (Monarda), also called wild bergamot, Oswego tea and horsemint, is an herbaceous perennial that attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and other nectar-seeking creatures. Bee Balm flower colors include red, pink, white and lavender. Blooming early to late summer in full sun, Bee Balm grows two to four feet tall, multiplies readily and is easy to care for.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

I’m looking for something in red…

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

In bloom at Green Spring Gardens

Ah, yes, this is the life—lost myself for a few hours this afternoon at my favorite garden—and I still didn’t cover everything that was blooming. Kudos to the staff and the volunteers who make this place such a treasure (and an escape for this photographer, too!).

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.