A bumblebee flies towards Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata) in Baltimore, Maryland

If you’ve followed me for any length of time on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn , you’ll know my enjoyment of my native plants and my endless fascination with the life that visits them.

Summer is a busy time for pollinators like this bumblebee. Female bumblebees dig a nest with multiple chambers, lay an egg in each chamber, and provision the egg with a ball of pollen for the larva to feed on when it hatches. Bumblebees often nest adjacent to one another; a bit like a neighborhood rather than a hive. Photographing bumblebees was a real challenge because, as the name implies, their erratic flight paths made it extremely difficult to determine to which flower they were headed. And, rather than landing gracefully, they’d often crash into the plant at full speed. 

This image was shot in one of my planter boxes. I deliberately left in the rowhouses, steps, and spirals of the wrought iron railing in the background. I wanted to convey that, with a little help, one can create an environment for native life, even right in the middle of a city.