WiseAcre Gardens

I’m trying out this Bee Balm for the first time. The catalog stated:

‘Dwarf cultivar with large heads of red flowers. 16 inch tall’

Bee balm – Fireball — Phlox – Purple Flame
Coreopsis – Zagreb — Sedum – k. Ellcombinianum

Calling this bee balm a dwarf is a stretch. The ones I planted this spring were topping out at 3 feet. Even the short Phlox – ‘Purple Flame’ grew a good foot over the stated 16 inch height. The Coreopsis – ‘Zagreb’ gained a good 6 inches over what the catalog stated but that was no surprise. I usually expect it to grow 1 and a half to 2 feet high.

Sometimes a mistake turns out to be a well planed design. Next year the Zagreb will probably gain another 6 inches in height. Good thing the bee balm and phlox growing behind it ate their Wheaties.

The Fireball flowers were right on, the big red blooms turned out nicer than expected.

Monarda – ‘Fireball’

I figure if the Fireball over-winters in this spot it’s going to be winter hardy just about anywhere I might use it. A deep freeze is going to settle in behind that stone wall.

…and now for something completely different.

I’ve heard about the ‘Birds and the Bees’ and always thought they were a bit more discrete than this. The way this Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’ flower is being mounted makes me think this might be some sort of ill mannered fly wearing a bee overcoat.

It’s not unusual to see an established bed of red Bee Balm sport a few double decker blooms.

Monarda didyma

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Back at our old home site some red bee balm still persists in the abandoned garden and seems to have far more than the usual odd sport. In fact the single simple blooms are now out numbered by the double deckers.

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I love the odd blooms when they are a freak of nature. Not so much when plant breeders take and develop new varieties from them just to have ‘New and Improved on the plant tag or catalog.

I’m sure you would feel the same way if I was cloned. I might be a pleasant distraction but more than one of me definitely would not be ‘New and Improved’.