I have bee balm coming out of my ears! I always thought you couldn't grow it from seed as they are sterile-I guess I had better get out there and get some of those seeds!! I have Marshall's delight (pink), Panorama (dark pink), Fireball (mine is a dark fushia this year), Coral reef (shorter pink), Cambridge scarlet (red with double bloom), and violet queen (purple) If you want seeds-I have hot them...I will go and get some right now :o) Would love to trade :o)

I cannot believe how the Monarda didyma (the plain red bee balm) and Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' are growing in my hummingbird garden. Granted they are growing in ideal conditions (partial shade, med-moist, rich organic soil), which is simply encouraging them to take over 1/2 the bed and an adjacent walkway. I have to dig up a lot this year to thin them out and rescue their neighbors from being swallowed. :) I wouldn't be without it though, I think it's gorgeous, and the hummingbirds LOVE it. If you've never seen a Hummer before, you will get one with this type of Monarda. It may be better behaved for in your situation if you plant it in full shade. Also, under drier conditions it will spread less.

Jacob Cline is a cultivar of Monarda didyma, a "cousin" of this plant, if you will. I have a piece of it as well, but I have not been very kind to it and it is struggling for me also. I have one lone bloom about to open. I need to top dress it with some compost and see if I can coax it to grow better. That one is a gorgeous scarlet color.

It was a terrific gardening day, all in all--except I forgot to put on gardening gloves while planting plants/seeds at Lincoln this morning, so I have THE dirtiest fingernails. Any of you have magic tricks for that? I am so sad. Amy sent me a list of vendors who will be at the native plants tour in Tulsa tomorrow, but I shot the heck out of not only my PLANT budget, but my general budget. I am BROKE. I might prefer to stay BROKE for the rest of this month than to dive into savings. Yeah, probably. To tell the truth, Amy, I have NO idea where I could possibly put any more plants. I had about 10 milkweeds to put in at the school, as well as 8 or so tithonia. I got those in, and then finally threw my hands up--that big center bed has NO more room. So I planted 5 of the milkweed 100 feet away in the "sandbox." The high school ag teacher, a wonderful young man, brought half a dozen of his students with him and they put up the cattle panel trellises and pegged them securely. Then the students (fun guys junior/seniors) helped me plant stuff. I told them not to walk on anything green in that huge center bed, and one of them said, "But EVERYTHING's green!" I said, "Yep, tough marching orders, eh?" But speaking of that, I'd much rather try to pot some of that excess up and give away rather than to simply trash--I could easily take out a bunch of fennel, dill, cosmos, marigolds. Back to the arches/trellises: YAY, this is going to be so much fun, but I could use your your advice, please. I planted some climbing okra, gourds today. But what other great vining stuff can I put in--Amy, know you do. Who else? Oh--I also planted some cucumbers. Advice welcomed, please.