These festive flowers are a favourite of mine. Growing up we had a cottage in the Laurentians. A row of monarda came up every year in the back garden. They attract both bees and hummingbirds. I loved watching the birds hover over each flower. Today bees were flitting around the flowers in this urban garden.
They were hard at work, gathering pollen. There is a hive on top of the local library. You can see it on the library site. Each year they sell the honey that is collected. Perhaps these bees are contributing.
We all know the importance of bees to the food chain. They perform an essential service to flowers and to many food crops, pollenating the plants. Vancouver, BC has just banned the use of neonicotinoids, pesticides believed to lead to bee mortality. If only other places followed suit.
