05/28/2026
She opened this morning like she had somewhere to be.
This is bee balm — Monarda — and these are the some of the first flowers of the season here at Nia Wellness Farm. I've been watching these buds build for weeks, like the tension that builds when you see a very attractive woman that slowly walks past you a little too close....and I'll be honest, I stood there a little longer than I needed to when I found her open....the flower buds.
There's something about a healing plant in full bloom that feels like a conversation. Like the garden is saying — I'm ready. Are you?
Bee balm has been used for centuries as medicine. Antimicrobial. Digestive support. Nervine. The Cherokee used it for respiratory ailments long before it showed up in any herb book. It carries thymol and carvacrol — the same compounds in thyme and oregano — which means this soft, lavender little flower is quietly one of the toughest plants in the bed.
These hands have held a lot of things over many years. A rifle. A chef's knife. A handful of stretch marks. A trowel. Holding this bloom this morning felt like the right kind of work.
