One of the most versatile plants in my garden is Bee Balm, or Monarda, or otherwise known as Wild Bergamot, or Oswego Tea. It is one of my favorite herbs and flowers. When they’re it’s in full bloom Bee Balm looks like a person having a bad hair day.
I think they’re blooms are one of the most interesting in my summer garden. The hummingbirds love Monarda too.
Bee Balm is a wonderful plant for naturalizing, in fact it tends to spread, so it’s great for meadows and open fields. The spreading is not hard to control with a little weeding. The runners run right under the surface of the ground so plants that come up where they’re not supposed to are easily removed.
Bee Balm is also known as Oswego Tea because its blooms and leaves can be brewed into a wonderful tea.
Bee Balm enjoys full sun, but can also grow in partial shade. They really like a well mulched area with rich compost, but they will thrive in most conditions. They’re a perennial, so they’ll come back and reward you with blooms year after year.
I would recommend planting a patch of Monarda on a hillside, then setting up a bench or sitting area nearby. When your Monarda is in bloom sit quietly and check out the beautiful blooms, and you’ll probably get to enjoy the butterflies and hummingbirds that love your bee balm blooms too.
[...] plenty of butterfly weed, and a butterfly bush just for the Monarchs. The butterflies also love the bee balm, and Russian sage that are in full bloom this time of [...]