I am saving seed from our elder Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) plants in our garden today.

Separating the seeds from the dead flowerheads releases the essential oils that have a rich bergamot, minty/oregano aroma. It is a real treat sorting seeds from these.

For those not familiar these, scroll right through the 5 pics below. The flowers are gorgeous, beloved by the bees (as the name implies) but also favored by hummingbirds. This one invites in many winged kin to pollinate your other crops and nourish the spirit with the poetry of their movement, form and color.

Birds like American Goldfinches, sparrows, and chickadees also enjoy eating bee balm seeds, especially when left to dry in the garden, turning your flowers into a natural winter bird feeder.

Bee balm tea also offers medicinal benefits for human respiratory issues like colds and coughs, digestive upset (gas, nausea, indigestion), and can act as an antimicrobial for both throat and skin wound infections due to its high thymol content, similar to oregano. It's traditionally used as a diaphoretic to break fevers, relieve sore throats, and can also be used topically for skin issues.

This species grows in cold hardiness zones 4-10 and each plant can live for decades feeding tens of thousands of winged visitors, providing nourishment for the soul and medicine for your body.

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I am sending seeds out saved from the large 7th year plant shown in the pics below with each copy of my book (Recipes For Reciprocity: The Regenerative Way From Seed To Table) from now until the end of January.