What's blooming today?
Souvenir is a happy rose these days.
She’s putting out these lovely clusters of quartered roses. I love it.
Oh and they smell so lovely. She’s a small rose bush, but she’s fairly hardy for me during the long cold winters.
Like the bug hanging out too?
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
How’s your garden doing?
My garden is quite prolific at the moment. I have 4 cherry tomato plants producing little red gems daily, and then there’s the cucumbers, I must have 4 that are just about ready to pick. My green beans are doing well too. Yummy fresh picked beans.
My tomato plants have still not produced any tomatoes, not even green ones. I started them late and I will never do that again. I’m pretty sure that I won’t get any tomatoes from them this year because they probably be green and just old enough to start ripening when it begins to get too cool for them.
The strawberries have continuously been pushing out crop after crop of berries, and the raspberries are producing their second round. I think I might make some pies and jams.
Almost all of the flowers are blooming. It would probably be easier to tell you what’s not blooming rather than what is. My four o clocks are finally blooming. They were slow to start up this year. I’ll have to make sure I collect some seeds from them this year so that I have fresh seeds for next year. I think the seeds I used this year were too old. I really love my white four o’clocks because they put out a scent very similar to jasmine. The garden is intoxicating when they are blooming in the evening. I’ve missed that most of this summer.
We did finally get some rain but there hasn’t been much so far. I’m hoping that we’ll get a few good showers soon.
Now tell me about your garden? What’s doing well and what’s doing poorly?
Bee Balm Monarda Didyma
Description:
Striking red flowers that look like Jesters’ hats and last for weeks give this plant a slightly comical air. Its stem is square (characteristic of plants in the mint family) and its leaves are dark green, sometimes flushed with dark red. Quickly growing into a large, tall clump, bee balm is altogether a sturdy, colorful addition to the garden.
Maintenance and requirements:
Although bee balm prefers moist places in the wild, it can be grown in average moisture conditions in the garden.
Versatile in its light requirements, from partial shade to full sun, and also in its PH tolerance, from slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5 to 6.5), bee balm is very easy to grow. The only problem you might encounter is mold, which often covers the leaves in a whitish film, signaling that the plant is crowded and not getting enough air movement; divide plants every few years, and don’t spray eaves when watering. Deadhead to extend blooming.
Height: 2-5 feet (60 to 150 cm)
Blooming period: Early to mid-summer
Exposure: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Moist to average
Habitat: Moist woods, moist meadows
Range: North East – North America
Propogation:
Bee Balm is easy to start from seeds. Simply sprinkle seeds in pots or a bed in late fall or early spring (seeds do not need cold stratification). Or divide the plant in early spring, which is not only useful for propagation, but also helps keep the plant from getting too crowded in the center.
Good Companions:
At the woodland edge, plant bee balm with black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus).
Related Species:
Wild Bergamot (M. Fistulosa)
Wildlife:
Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds swarm this plant for nectar.
Misc.:
Also known as Oswego tea, because the plants were used by the Oswego Indians for a hot drink. Bruise its aromatic leaves for the scent of Earl Grey Tea.
I grow two of the hybrid species of Bee balm and I love them. Their care is exactly the same as that of the native species that I’ve described above. Enjoy!