Even though Queen Anne's Lace, Black-eyed Susans, Daisies and many others are very, very common and plentiful, I am amazed when I study the structure of each blossom. Take the Queen Anne's Lace--so perfect with zillions of tiny, tiny flowers, making a pattern, then the pattern makes a beautiful round flower cluster. The story goes that this wildflower got its name when a queen was sewing lace and pricked her finger. The purple center flower is where a drop of royal blood from the queen's finger dripped onto the lace. The root of Queen Anne's Lace, when young, is tender and sweet....so they say. I have read the cultivated carrot is derived from this species.

Daisies are so common, so prolific, yet they are so perfect. Study that blossom--white rays radiating from a yellow crown. Did you know the petals and leaves of Daisies have been made into wine and medicine. Also, the dew collected from them has been taken to promote longevity.

Monarda didyma, better known as Crimson Bee Balm or Oswego Tea, is cultivated for it's showy flowers. The Oswego Tea name came from the fact there was a tea shortage after the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and the leaves of Bee Balm were used as a substitute for imported tea.

Oxeye Daisy. In Italy, Daisies are associated with the dead and funerals.


Common Milkweed. If you are an ant, your feet will puncture the stem and you'll get caught in the sticky, white sap.


Crimson Bee Balm, Monarda didyma. A favorite of hummingbirds.