Kitchen Gardeners

...OK,..KGI...help me out. I need some info/tips on '' Bee Balm '' (aka Monarda). I know we have some smart members out there....soil req./sunlight/etc. C'mon KGI,....talk to me.

Share

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Ohhhh.....I love bee balm!! I planted it last year and it certainly attracts the pollinators!

It is very easy to grow. It can grow in clay soils and likes it somewhat dry. It can be planted in partly shady or in full sun. Mine is in full sun. Bee Balm is also a perennial. It comes back very well and vigorous. Maybe a little too vigorous. :)

Reply to This

Jess,thanks for the(meow)reply. If it is easy to(meow)grow then,that's good(meow)news. I've got a(meow) 100 questions.Too vigorous? I'm gonna(meow)give it a shot....hey,........somebody got a cat.

Reply to This

I live in a hot, dry part of the country and the bee balm needs some kind of afternoon shade out here and the soil must have decent enough drainage. East facing spots are good. Easy to propagate once it's well established. One of the best plants for wildlife and it's beautiful to look at.

Reply to This

Valerie, thanks for the reply.Still very early in project, collecting info. Thanks again.

Reply to This

Some pictures of bee balm.... to entice you to grow your own Ed! :o)



p style="text-align: left;">

Reply to This

wild Beebalm
Attachments:

Reply to This

JC, thanks.The more I learn about this plant, the more I like it.No wonder hummingbirds like it. I'll try.

Reply to This

I love, love, love Bee Balm! or Bergamont...whichever you like calling it. When I planted it 25 yrs ago I had no clue how or what it needed....but it has thrived in spite of the neglect. That particular one is red. Last yr I saw a purple plant and bought it. It went bonkers over the winter and is a gorgeous plant this spring. The new on is in full sun and we do have clay soil, but I did amend it with peat and compost. The first Bergamont was planted in my first herb garden in whatever soil was there....which was clay. It now only gets partial shade and still does well. I'm planning to divide it this yr and transfer it to the sunny spot.

I love Earl Grey tea and make my own with Black English Breakfast Tea and dried Bergamont! Mmmmm good.

Give it a try. You will love it. Taste the blossoms they are soooo sweet!

Reply to This

Diane, do eat blossoms straight off the bloom? like honey-suckle? now you think I'm crazy, right.

Reply to This

I thought the Bergamot in Earl Grey was something else...?

Reply to This

Cathy,...I dont know. I'm still learning about this plant/herb/flora. Gonna plant 6, we will see.

Reply to This

It is, but Bee Balm is a super good dupe or mimic.

Reply to This

RSS

KGI's book of the month

Latest Activity

I also recommend Seed Savers Exchange. Not only does Heritage Farm offer seeds they've grown, but you can become a member and exchange thousands of seeds with other gardeners. The beauty of seed savers is you can use heirloom seeds that you have g...
42 minutes ago
Amanda Williams and Georg Strafella joined Kitchen Gardeners
5 hours ago
........So the story is that this land is under the unlawful use of big wigs.No body dares to touch them.As they are usually in govt.or are the relatives of those in power.That is why I was telling Salma,problem is not simple.It is so intricate,it...
14 hours ago
Glenn! we also have the same allotment system.In which about 550 square feet ,(if I am not mistaken) or so is alloted to a family to grow fuel wood on it .Govt. only plants the trees and then the family looks it aftern grow what everthey want alon...
14 hours ago
Mussarat Nadeem is now friends with Kathryn and amna mufti
17 hours ago
DIscussion group for people who hunt wild edibles.
17 hours ago
17 hours ago
I would love to have an allotment, there needs to be more of them.
17 hours ago
great shot, yours seem to have the most on it.
17 hours ago
Thanx!
17 hours ago
Your Organic Friends...
18 hours ago
BRILLIANT...
18 hours ago
Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal added 4 photos to the album 'TURKY'
19 hours ago
Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal updated their profile photo
19 hours ago
I pay £50 pounds a year approximately for my allotment. This amount has doubled in the last few years as their popularity has increased. Mine is 300 square yards, although there are smaller ones. The trend nowadays is to split them in two, so they...
21 hours ago
Glenn Fletcher added a blog post
Allotments are now very popular in the UK. I used to have empty ones around mine for years. This site describes what an allotment is. The main advantage of an allotment is that it does not have to be too tidy, so is ideal for trying out different ...
22 hours ago
I believe the British allotment system was developed in the late 19th & early 20th centuries to feed the urban poor mainly in the north of the country. Areas of land in urban areas were owned by local government and small parcels [300 square yards...
22 hours ago
Glenn Fletcher added a photo
22 hours ago
yesterday
I am not in Pakistan as you know but there are very many similarities. The populace is very poor with the basic wage being given to most and usually without health insurance included, even though that is illegal here. The basic wage is not enough ...
yesterday

Notes

HOW TO - ADD A LINK

Several people have experienced difficulty putting working links into comments and blogs etc and I know it is clumsy.... so here is how you do it.....

First type the text you want to appear....  ie  IAN'S PAGE

Then go back and highlight the link text.

Then hit the hyperlink button...a pictogram of a chain link.

Your browser may intervene and request permission to allow temporary scripting or some similar message.   Allow it and go back and highlight the text again

Continue

Created by Ian Jun 7, 2009 at 7:28pm. Last updated by Ian Jun 8.

Forum Policy

Hi, I'm starting to put together a few guidlines on using the discussion forum on here.

I would be happy to hear any comments you may have.  This is very much a work in progress so plese feel free to ask me to add anything you think is needed.

I don't want to make our community hide bound by rules and regulations but I think that, as the community has grown, some explanation of what is expected is needed.

Administration

You can refer any que

Continue

Created by Ian May 23, 2009 at 1:55am. Last updated by Ian May 25.

Climate maps

Hi following recent discussion I have put climate maps of the USA, Australia and Europe on here for reference..

 Climate map of the USA

Climate map of Australia

Climate map of Europe

 

Continue

Created by Ian Sep 12, 2008 at 6:20pm. Last updated by Ian Apr 14.

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes

Hi Everyone,  I've started to collect together recipes from various posts on the site and put them all together here.

If you have a recipe you want to add on here, just post it on the site and leave a comment on my page telling me where it is and I'll go and fetch it back here.

They are organised in Contributor Order but I'm open to better suggestions!

BEVA'S RECIPES

Continue

Created by Ian Jun 2, 2008 at 9:54am. Last updated by Ian Apr 13.

US STATES ABBREVIATIONS

 

US STATE ABBREVIATIONS

AK - Alaska               AL - Alabama              AR - Arkansas
AZ - Arizona              CA - California           CO - Colorado
CT - Connecticut          DC - Dist of Columbia *   DE - Delaware
FL - Florida              GA - Georgia              GU

Continue

Created by Ian Jan 27, 2009 at 4:27pm. Last updated by Ian Jan 27.

HOW TO - MAKE COMPOST

Recently there was an excellent discussion about composting. I’ve pulled together all the various comments here. You can also watch KGI's video on composting here.

 

 

KATE’S ADVICE

I used to have a tumbler that we made from a wine-barrel but

1 you have to fill it up all at once

2. it seemed mostly

Continue

Created by Ian May 30, 2008 at 5:29am. Last updated by Roger Jan 15.

Notes Home

Welcome to Notes.

To view notes that are in the system hit the "all notes" button above.

Continue

Created by Ian May 28, 2008 at 12:10pm. Last updated by Ian May. 30, 2008.

A Note about Notes

I have just written this note so that I can see what we can achieve by using this new feature.

If you read this and have any suggestions then please leave a comment on my page or email me.

Ian

Continue

Created by Ian May 28, 2008 at 6:19pm. Last updated by Ian May. 28, 2008.

© 2009   Created by Kitchen Gardeners International

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy  |  Terms of Service

Sign in to chat!