I wonder if itās a seasonal dearth in your zone? Supposedly thereās a period in the summer (at least here in New England) when the bees have a tough time finding flowers they like to draw nectar from. If so, Iām sure theyāll be thrilled about your wildflowers when they open! 
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I was interested in the different varieties of bees in my area, so I did a bit of research. It turns out that Florida doesnāt have a lot of the traditional bees that we think of when we think of honeybees. However, Florida has over 300 species of bee, and 29 of those species are only found in Florida! Some of them even look like wasps 
and now I have to be extra careful about what flying creatures I swat at or kill 
but I did find a great list of Florida native wildflowers that I need to find!
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/five-facts-bees-in-florida/
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@BryWisteria I am going to make a nervine tincture and tea to try out. I have Lemonbalm, Feverfew and mint in my garden and donāt want to waste it. Thoughts?
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I am in the process of harvesting my elderberries. I have 2 bushes that are quite large and supply a significant amount of berries each year. Iām also harvesting my monarda. I hang it in bunches around my house and when ours dried Iāll take it down and put it in jars. I use it in tinctures. I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I appreciate that I can harvest the things I need but I definitely do not like the heat of summer. Blessed Beā¦ 
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I havenāt thought of that! Iām going to look into it. Thanks Bry!
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@MeganB Whoa- that is an abundance of bees you have there in Florida! The first article looks like a very handy one for anyone who wants to attract more buzzy friends into their garden- since you have a wildflower mix, itās probably safe to bet that youāll have at least a few of the plants on this list! 
May there be many happy (and friendly!) bees coming to visit you soon to pollinate your plants! 
@lisa67 Iām not an expert with feverfew (maybe @Mistress_Of_Herbs has some ideas? She has so many great herbal recipes sheās shared!) but lemonbalm and mint both make fabulous decorations when they are sugared- both are super tasty and beautiful on cookies/cakes/pastries! Both can also be dried and used in tea blends- lemon balm is one of my favorite relaxing teas- my herbalist teacher calls it the āherb that gladens the heartā. Itās great for fending off the winter blues in the cold months.
I hope you can find some wonderful ways to enjoy your gardenās bounty, Lisa- good luck and have fun (and feel free to keep us updated- Iād love to hear what you do with them!) 
@Isabella13 I feel you about the love/hate relationship with summer- the gardens are loaded with goodies, but it feels too hot and humid to be able to be out there enjoying them 
And whoa, you already have elderberries!?! Iāll have to check our small elderflower here- I think itās just barely flowering right now haha. Sounds like you have some great plans- good luck and happy harvest! 
@Ostara Youāre welcome, Ostara- happy crafting! 
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I have rosemary, sage, spearmint, peppermint, gladiolus, rose of Sharon, yarrow, blue corn flower, angels trumpet, honeysuckle, forsythia, Hydrangea, marigolds, strawberry leaf, Crabapple leaf, and 7 rose bushes that all need harvesting
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@BryWisteria are u wanting info feverfew (excellent herb btw, especially for all of us who suffer with mirgraines), or are u wanting a recipe of some sort for feverfew and the other herbs for @lisa67
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Thank you! 
Iāve got so many ideas now for wildflowers to add to my garden and backyard. Iām excited! I need to get a sandy area in my garden to allow for bee nests. I just have to figure out how to keep the fire ants out ā those are pesky mean little things 
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@Mistress_Of_Herbs actually - if you have some information on Feverfew, and 1-2 recipes, I would love to try them.
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@Mistress_Of_Herbs Thatās awesome- youāve got yourself a real bounty growing there! Wishing you a happy harvest And thank you, the note about feverfew is for Lisa (who is blessed with an abundance of it this year)- I thought I remembered you talking about it in the past, so I āphoned a friendā! 
@MeganB A bee nest! 
That sounds adorable- is it something similar to the wild bee houses (the ones with bamboo/hollow sticks)? Iāve been seeing them around at garden centers and the like- seems like a really nice thing to put in the garden! (but not for the fire ants- nasty little guys! )
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I think so? A lot of the Florida native bees like to burrow, I think. So, theyāll create nests and stuff in hollow places or piles of dry brush. Iāve seen the bamboo houses though and I think I might put one in my garden!
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Oh, thatās neat! I wonder if any of the bees here in New England burrow too? I hadnāt considered it before!
Your chamomile is looking great, Alan! 
If you want an instant cuppa, you can pinch off the top (the whole flower head), wash it gently, and then pop them into your mug- makes a beautiful tea! 
I havenāt mastered the long-term harvest of chamomile yet, Iām afraid- I tried to harvest some a couple years back, but I must not have let it dry 100% before storing or bugs got in or something- it got ruined and I couldnāt use it 
Havenāt tried again since, and this year we barely have any- our scraggly little chamomile doesnāt look nearly as happy and healthy as yours does!
I did find a follow along video on YouTube about harvesting chamomile that looks good:
Hopefully others who have had more luck with chamomile will have some advice for you too!
Blessed be!
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I know Yellowjackets burrow here in WV. I was at camp once as a kid and didnāt sign up to do the nature walk. Got made fun of a bit. Boy, am I glad I didnāt. They walked right into a Yellowjacketās nest and got stung! I was happy to have missed that.
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Iām not sure, @BryWisteria, but it might be worth looking into! You never know what kind of buzzy friends you might not see!
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Iām glad you escaped that one too- yikes! Canāt feel too bad for them, though, since they gave you a hard time unfairly- maybe sometimes karma is a burrow of angry yellow jackets 
It definitely is! Iāll have to dig in and do some research (or should I say, bee-search? )
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@Cosmic_Curiosity thats a beautiful bounty. As for harvesting it, @BryWisteria advice for an insta cup is spot on.
If u are wanting to harvest it for longer storage. It must be cut, washed, and hung to dry (this can take several weeks). When completely dry pop off the flower portion and save. Discard the rest. If u want more detailed instructions send me a pm.
Best of luck
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Hey @lisa67 feverfew is an amazing herb. Heres some info for u and a few recipes.
Medicinally feverfew is called medieval aspirin or asprin of the 18th century, as it aids with reducing migraines and overall preventing headaches in general. What many may not know is it can also bring on contractions during labor (which is why if u are pregnant, u should use with extra caution). Bc feverfew causes uterine contractions many used to use it to start menstrual cycles, and aid in the pain that followed. But bc of these contractions, another word of caution, this herb can cause premature labor and also miscarriages. It can also soothe insect bites, similar to calendula. If u are sensitive to ragweed, it may cause an allergic reaction.
Magikally feverfew is used to consecrate tools, break binding spells, health, love, protection, and cleansing and purification.
Element is water. Planet is Venus. Astrological sign is Taurus. Chakra is the heart.
As for recipes, i wasnt sure what actual ailment u needed it for, so i just came up with a few for ya. If u need others or whatever just let me know.
For migraine sufferers feverfew and lemon balm are amazing. (I know, i use this regularly) @BryWisteria this is why u remember me saying something about it, lol
Also u can tryā¦
Feverfew
Lavender
Chamomile
Last oneā¦
Feverfew
Rosemary
Peppermint
Hope this helps. Happy harvesting!!!
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