Sunday, June 3, 2012

Glorious Bee Balms

The plants receiving the most acclaim in our gardens now are Monardas, bee balm.

This red bee balm has been in this garden for 14 years. Every year it grows taller (it now stands about 4 feet tall, driving Sharon crazy as it is in the front of the bed). Last summer was hard on it and it hasn't spread much.

The flowers are lovely and hummingbirds gather around like men at a sports bar.


We planted this Peter's Purple variety last year behind the office building in a problem spot we have - the soil is very heavy and stays damp. This Monarda loves it and has reached 3 feet in height but is much denser than the Jacob Kline red.

In front of the purple bee balm is planted a dwarf pink variety that blooms later.

Monardas make lovely cut flowers and the leaves brew up into a delicious and refreshing tea. 

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