Bee Balm and Bee Bread Bloom and Bumblebees Love Them

 Ohio State has a better bee on Bee Balm than I could manage.

The first cluster of Bee Balm is in full bloom. Ranger Bob came over for coffee and gardening plans, but asked first, "What are those flowers in bloom?"

I was watching the older planting of Bee Balm grow shoulder high and bud. The blooms were open and swarming with bumble bees.

Besides that, the beneficial insects were flying in and out, the fighter jets in comparison to the bumble bee tankers. If someone wants a reason to defend the Six Day Creation, consider the flowers without the bees, the bees without the flowers, the beneficial insects without pests to feed their young.

I do not argue from the data, but I think about the engineering and management issues of interdependent species and creatures (I mean evolutes). If the right combination arrives late in that enormous span of millions of years, if not billions, how do they thrive and exist? My highly educated siblings cannot arrive to an event on time, yet all the garden life-forms indicate they have done this forever, on time and under-budget, adjusting to fit the circumstances.

My two favorite unknown insects are a mystery to most gardeners-

1. The springtails, which may weigh more than all of mankind put together, and
2. The ichneumon wasps, which are broken down into 6,000 varities, according to The Snoring Bird, a classic work on the topic.

Birds hunt by sight; the ichneumons hunt mainly, but not exclusively, by scent. Not any caterpillar (or its pupa) will do. Like the over 6,000 other species of the Ichneumoninae— all of them parasitize Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)— this particular Protichneumon will search for something very, very specific. For her, it is the caterpillar of a green sphinx moth that is artfully camouflaged like a leaf. This ichneumon has a bright reddish-brown abdomen.
Heinrich, Bernd. The Snoring Bird (Kindle Locations 1178-1181). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Springtails are tiny and help the rotting and recycling effort. Ichneumon wasps are almost as hard to see, yet they work tirelessly in the Creation Garden.

 Bee Bread, also known as Borage, is always a bit ragged looking, but the bees go for the blooms, which quickly turn into seeds and replant their feeder. The flowers are edible and improve one's mood. "I borage, give thee courage."

I plant Borage by sowing the seed, just before or during a rainstorm. By growing a lot of pollinator plants (for bees, beneficial insects, and butterflies), I protect the roses from most predators.

 This majestic Veterans Honor rose was placed on the altar in memory of all veterans and Christina's cousin, Pete, below. No man-made chemicals were used to protect the flower, which was defended by the Creator's beneficial creatures: hover flies, ichneumon wasps, and spiders.

 Pete Ellenberger served his new country, like many in his family.