I make no apologies that this garden was constructed for my enjoyment, but along the way I’ve discovered the joy of creating a habitat for wildlife. My obsession with a variety of trees and love of ponds has created shelter and provided water, with enough flowers and berries to provide nourishment for a wide range of beasts.

While pollinators are attracted to the garden’s blooms throughout the year, their numbers will peak in the coming weeks as the three Mountain mints begin to flower. Slender mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium, above) is the local native, and the earliest to flower in the garden. Planted in recent years, it has little space to spread in this crowded garden, but I hope to see a substantial clump to extend the chaotic mountain mint pollinating season.

Swallowtails and other butterflies have not arrived at the wide-spreading colony of  Blunt Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum, above) but it won’t be long. It also won’t be long until they move on to the quieter flowers of Joe Pye weeds (Eutrochium purpureum and/or maculatum, some planted, some seeded) as hordes of bees, wasps, and hoverflies find the mountain mint.

The identity of the third Mountain mint (below) is an open question. Planted a year ago, it appears identical to Blunt Mountain mint, so I’ll be interested to watch as it flowers. Again, it has limited space to spread into sunny areas, and there is no purpose in growing three varieties except my own interest. I’m certain it won’t matter to the pollinators.