GARDENING

Chenille, Taffeta and Velvet may sound like the hottest designer fabrics, but in reality, they are the newest Upscale monarda (otherwise known as bee balm) coming out this spring.

The Upscale monarda series from Proven Winners packs native DNA from 23 states and Canada that will allow you to create the pollinator habitat of your dreams. As you may have guessed, there will be three colors: Upscale Pink Chenille, Upscale Lavender Taffeta and Upscale Red Velvet. Their sizes go up in that order too: Pink Chenille, 20-22 inches; Lavender Taffeta, 22-26 inches; and Red Velvet up to 32 inches.

Botanically speaking, bee balm is in the Lamiaceae, or mint family. This just means it has some family members you already love, like oregano and thyme.

The first time I looked at a scarlet or red bee balm through a telephoto lens, I was struck with a single thought, “If nature ever had a flower that really looked like an exploding firework, it is this flower.” It is a ready-made, July 4th event in the garden.

I loved my combinations this year, and they have me already dreaming about next year’s garden. But let’s go over the basics first.

The first step is acquisition. Despite being a native plant, this does not just mean a quick trip to the garden center for a few varieties. Proven Winners now has 14 varieties of bee balm, including the three Upscale selections. Other well-known companies have also debuted dozens of new selections. Oddly, it has only been seen by The Garden Guy at the rarest, specialization-type nurseries. Hopefully, that is about to change, but you should make your purchase the day you see it or start making your online search.

If you ever dreamed of a garden reminiscent of the mountain meadow, make this your first plant. But whether your garden is a mountain meadow, cottage garden, backyard wildlife habitat or modern perennial garden, all are ideal locations for the Upscale Monarda group.

These plants prefer fertile well-drained soil with plenty of sun. Plan on giving them good spacing for air circulation and to minimize any disease threats. Upscale Red Velvet, for instance, is recommended at 36inch spacing. They attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, and they are not high on the Bambi menu.

I got to try out the Red Velvet and the Lavender Taffeta and was beyond thrilled. In one section of the garden, I partnered the Upscale Red Velvet bee balm with Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine agastache and Meant to Bee Royal Raspberry agastache, both new plants in 2023. Next year, I hope to add some rudbeckia and blue agastache like Blue Boa.

In another area, I grew Upscale Lavender Taffeta bee balm with Evergold Carex. Evergold is really a sedge but gives an idyllic grassy texture. My goal next year is to incorporate some of the Luminary Ultraviolet and Luminary Sunset Coral phlox.

This year was a challenge with a late freeze, extreme heat and 30 days straight of no rain. But no matter what occurred, the presence of butterflies and hummingbirds brought pure joy. New plants like the Upscale series of bee balm are sure to bring them in.

Follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterThe-Gard-enGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.