The Perennial Buzz by Shelley Pederson

 

I love to watch the little bee,

Long before the winter cold.

She pounces on each petal,

Like a hunter, quick and bold.

But the garden has no buzz,

When the air is bitter cold.

Do bustling bees wilt away

Like the yellow marigold?

I hope they hide in sturdy hives,

Where waxy walls keep out the cold,

And spend all winter sipping

The honey they guard like gold.

— “Where Do Bees Go In Winter?” By Jacqueline Jules

Bee is for bee balm, monarda or bergamot. A less aggressive member of the mint family, bee balm is a rugged perennial hardy in zone 4. Delicate whorled flowers come in lavender, red, purple and pink attract not only bees, but butterflies and hummingbirds. I have often been in the garden weeding and have been dauntlessly dive bombed by ruby throated hummingbird I named Douglas in my own personal battle of Midway.

Extremely hardy, give this sparkling beauty some room. Although not as aggressive as most mints, it will spread by roots. My oldest monarda is Marshall’s delight, a 24 to 36-inch tall and handsome variety — much like my son, Marshall — with scarlet red blooms late June and all of July. The blooms remind me of fireworks. Monarda needs some space, so be sure to plant them at least 18 inches from other perennials. They thrive in full sun and will tolerate being quite dry. Being wet or crowded can cause them to get powdery mildew. Fortunately, there are new varieties on the market that are mildew resistant and are more compact for small gardens.

Balmy pink and balmy purple grow 10 to 12 inches and are profusely covered with medium pink  or purple blooms. It is fairly mildew resistant and easy to find for sale in local nurseries. Fireball is about as close to whiskey as I get these days: a stunning bright red florific bloomer that grows 18 to 20 inches tall. Petite delight was one of the first dwarf varieties on the market. It grows about 12 to 15 inches tall and wide. The blooms are a rosy pink color.

The newest bee balms are the sugar buzz series. Sugar buzz are more resistant to mildew than other varieties and are known for 2 to 2.5-inch prolific blooms on sturdy, well branched stems with dark green foliage. Most are 16 to 24 inches tall. Colors include bubblegum, cherry pops, berry taffy, grape gumball, lilac lollipop, pink frosting, and raspberry. I assure you there is one that will fit into your garden plan.

On top of drawing beneficial pollinators to your garden, bee balm blooms are edible. The leaves are an aromatic mint fragrance and are used for potpourri, teas and tinctures. I plant them for bees, butterflies and Douglas.

Native bergamot is commonly lavender. This tall variety is perfect to add to a native wildflower planting. Give it room as it grows tall and spreads. All bee balm are deer and rabbit resistant. Unfortunately, the native species is the most prone to mildew. Mildew usually affects the plant when it is about halfway through the bloom season. No need to treat it, it really only looks bad. Simply wait until the plants are done blooming and cut them back to 3 to 4 inches. This is one of the plants I don’t allow to reseed in my garden. If you have varieties that are resistant to mildew, I’d still deadhead the blooms. Hybridized seeds don’t always reseed true to the parent plant. Better to allow the plant to spread by root. Plus, it keeps the plant nice and tidy.

Be sure to remove the cut plants and fallen leaves and do not compost in your garden compost, as mildew is a spore and you wouldn’t want it in your soil. Also note that in the nursery it is difficult to keep mildew off the potted plants by midsummer. Don’t worry about purchasing them. Simply cut them back and plant them. Give them sun and room, and they will be fine. As for keeping them from spreading, they pull up very easily. Go around the edges and pull up the runaways and pot them up for your neighbor. We need bees!

Shelley Pederson is a perennially busy master gardener, lover of nature and student of life.