Yesterday was a pretty exciting day. Well, the small span between arriving home from work and preparing dinner, at least.
I grabbed the yard waste bin from the garage and started removing all the dried Oak leaves that I’d spread over our flower beds before this last cold snap. There was lots to see.
One of the things I was most excited about were my two varieties of bee balm, which are already showing signs of getting an early start on the summer. My red, or “domestic,” bee balm is an acquisition from Grandma Georgie’s neighbors in Decorah. It’s a gangly plant with long, scarlet petals. I put in only two or three single plants late last year, but already I’m seeing lots of small green leaves cropping up from the shoots the bee balm has sent off. The plants I had last year were so tall and thin, they didn’t stand up very well to wind and rain. I’m hoping that this new breed is a bit heartier and will give the hummingbirds more to aim for. Also of note regarding this variety of bee balm is that it can be used for cooking. Not surprising, really, since it’s a member of the mint family.
I also have a purple, or “native,” version of bee balm that I bought at a nursery in Decorah last year (it was a big summer for plants). This is my favorite of the two varities, and it appears to be spreading at the same pace as its scarlet cousin. After this summer I may have to split that planting and relocate part of it; as far as I’m concerned, you can’t really have too much bee balm, especially when you’re trying to attract hummingbirds and bees.
The other exciting appearance is the columbine I planted as a transplant from my mom’s front yard (again) last summer. I’ve always loved columbine; the leaves and stems have a great, delicate look to them, and the blossoms are exotic.
What I didn’t know about columbine was that it springs up in these beautiful little sprigs of soft purple leaves and stems. I wasn’t even sure what I was looking at when I uncovered this group yesterday, but closer inspection revealed that characteristic leaf shape. There’s no real way of knowing yet what this bunch might end up looking like, but it certainly looks healthy enough right now. One of the nice things about columbine (and bee balm, for that matter) is that it spreads very quickly. After this summer I hope to have some really well-established bunches of each of these plants. Along with the two honeysuckle vines at either end of the clothesline, and the hummingbird feeder just outside the window in the sunroom, I figure I should be able to attract every hummingbird that flies anywhere near Iowa City.
Now if I just had a telephoto lens for my camera. Are you listening, Santa?