Unfortunately, I had to stop developing construction of an ill placed ground nest earlier in the spring. While bees hardly acknowledge my presence when feeding, they are understandably defensive near their nest. But, the destruction of the nest that was barely started seemingly has had no effect on the abundance of bees in the garden. The targets of their nectar gathering change regularly as plants fade and come into flower, and of course, this will continue into late summer.

While the various pennstemons are a long blooming summer favorite, the August flowering mountain mint is the clear favorite for all pollinators except butterflies that avoid the chaos of bees, hoverflies, and wasps feeding side-by-side.

While quantities of bees are impossible to judge, it seems that numbers of swallowtails have increased. Populations vary from year to year, and I hesitate to make a pronouncement until Joe Pye Weeds flower in midsummer. As always, the numbers of Joe Pye seedlings have increased, to the point that some bordering the koi pond must be eliminated, though probably next year since they’re well rooted by now and difficult to access at the pond’s edge.