Beesful coexistence

Buddleia's common name, butterfly bush, is accurate enough; they love it.

But so do hum- mingbirds, wasps, bees . . . especially bees this time of year, which makes deadheading a little dicey.

No sudden moves as they buzz around me and overfill their little yellow saddlebags with pollen, already swollen from the blooming key lime across the pool.

So a slow snip, drop to the pile, another careful snip, more on the pile -- and by the time the pile goes into the back of the Gator, it's a challenge to carry it in a slow tai-chi ballet while the bees bumble about it looking for that last sip. No stings so far, but only because it plays out in the slowest of motion.