Hummingbird Heaven

When it comes to hummingbirds it's hard to beat red bee balm, Monarda didyma. The weather has been gorgeous for two days in a row, and weeding in the garden has been a pleasure. The female hummingbird works the bee balm right next to me as long as I keep working. If I stop to watch her she flies off to another spot in the garden. I guess she doesn't like the garden help watching her while she eats. I still get a great view of her green iridescent feathers and enjoy the buzzing of her wings. Sometimes she even perches on a wire cage nearby, especially if she is higher than my head. She is the queen of the garden and chases away any intruder that dares to approach her red bee balm. She spends a fair amount of time chasing other hummingbirds in high speed pursuit.No air show could be more exciting!



The tubular flowers open starting in the center, and work their way out. They will bloom for weeks keeping our hummingbirds happy. The Monarda fistulosa, wild pink bee balm and the lavender bee balm will open soon. When they do I'll be watching for hummingbird moths. The hummingbirds do not share the red.