I photographed Purple Beebalm during a July visit to Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Purple Beebalm, or Wild Bergamot, is a native New Jersey and Pennsylvania plant valued for its purple-pink flowers that attract pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Our meadow tour guide mentioned that anyone can grow it in their garden. Gardeners must ensure the plant gets enough sunlight and is planted in well-drained soil.
It's a low-maintenance plant and can be propagated through seeds or divisions. He mentioned that the plant is aggressively self-sowing, so he recommends planting in a small patch of dirt in the backyard to prevent uncontrolled spreading. I planted some in the backyard this summer. Not only will it look great, but it will also make my garden a buzzing haven for pollinators!
Well done frame, here! I planted Bee balm last spring but more established things around it leafed out so I discovered the Bee balm was deprived of the sun it really needed. It still bloomed a lot but the Bee balm would've done much better in another location. This summer in the Midwest (visiting my parents) while on long walks around the countryside, I started to notice wild Bee balm in the ditches, a lot more!
How does that lens balance on your camera? I've used a Fuji XT-2 for one of my principal "walk around" cameras the last few years and it's hard to imagine something that big on the end of it!
I planted two types of bee balm plants in an area by themselves. I’m hoping I left enough room between the plants.
The XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is a fine lens weighing 1605 g (3.54 lb). It’s an excellent wildlife and bird photography lens. A heavy lens is the price I have to pay to capture distant subjects in detail. 🙂
When using the XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, I hold the Fuji X-T3 in one hand and support the lens in the other hand. I also attach it to a BlackRapid RS-4 sling strap when I know I’ll be outside walking and looking for a warbler to photograph.