As the growing season finally winds down–well over a month later than usual I might add–it’s time to figure out what worked and didn’t work in the garden this year.
The plant that surprised me the most was my ‘Marshall’s Delight’ Bee balm (Monarda didyma). I have a love/hate relationship with Bee Balm plants. They attract bees and hummingbirds like crazy, but they are also prone to powdery mildew and have a tendency to wander away from where you plant them.
Last year, I wanted something tall and pink for the back of one of my flowerbeds and the puffy, medium-pink blooms of ‘Marshall’s Delight’ fit the bill. I purchased and planted two of them together, and surrounded them with pound-in edging so they wouldn’t escape. Because it was their first year in the garden, they stayed very short and only bloomed for a couple of weeks.
This year they shot up to four feet tall and formed a lovely clump. They bloomed for well over 2 months and were covered with bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. What amazed me the most is that they didn’t show any sign of disease despite a near-drought July and a flooding August. I never saw a single white spot of powdery mildew. The spicy foliage stayed lush and green all season. I consider that a garden miracle.
Perhaps they were only teasing me and next summer they’ll die out in the middle and look scraggly, but for now I’m very impressed with ‘Marshall’s Delight.’