We love the Bee-You® series of Monarda in our garden during 2020 for their ample flowers and resistance to disease. We planted some in both our patio area and our Earth Day garden to stunning effect. This year we expanded our offerings to include Bee-Pretty. New this year, gorgeous purple flowers open from light purple colored buds, that blanket the plant for months of color and are eye-popping on a blanket of darker green foliage. The small size of the Bee-You line, 12-15 inches heigh, make them ideal plants for border gardens and containers, keeping them compact and tidy. Monarda make great companion plants for other pollinator friendly flowers and look great situated among ornamental grasses. Monarda is native to eastern North America, so it is a hardy plant that grows quickly, does well in a variety of soils and is easy to care for. The nectar in the flowers is a favorite of native pollinators. The foliage is aromatic, smells of crushed mint and can be used to flavor team or sparkling water. With their summer blooms come a menagerie of pollinators including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even the oft forgotten but very important flying beetles.
