Potentillas or cinquefoil were scattered in the fields, too. I saved lots of seed, but they do a much better job of finding spots for themselves, competing nicely with grasses.
Best of Show, however, went to the wild Monardas. The wildflower book calls them horsemint, but to me they are Bee Balm. Unlike the domesticated ones I've tried to grow in the past, these guys seem immune to the powdery mildew that plagues the red varieties. They are if not head and shoulders above the other wildflowers, at least their heads are. I didn't notice any shoulders. They are four feet tall. This year has been especially good for them. They are now blooming in the woods, unmowed fields and everywhere but the yard. Too tame, they say, so I'm not even going to try and collect their seeds.
When I'm bothered by mosquitoes, I rub a monarda leaf on my ears. The herbaceous scent keeps me free from those pests and I smell divine.
It just shows to go you (as we say in Missouri) that Mother Nature is the best gardener. I only wish I understood what She has in mind with all that rampant poison ivy.
