When did you put them out and how was the weather until recently? Mine are almost done now but yours may be coming very soon. Look at the tops to see if you see any leaf color change and a sudden set of dense leaves, which tend to form before the buds enlarge.

He Deeje: There are tons of different Salvia that are not pure red. I was just wondering what would grow here in 5B (of course as an annual) and blend well with the Raspberry Wine Bee Balm and Coneflower. I want to plant something for hummingbirds there along with the Bee Balm they will love also. Hi a2Mon: I have Marshall's Delight still in its tiny little container (not planted yet). Would that look good in between two Raspberry Wine's? No-one thinks my Moonshine Yarrow would look good?? I am especially looking for something that would basically add color all early summer thru fall color for the front of the border in a few hours of full afternoon sun. Thank you very much for the rest of the suggestions everyone has given. I will have to look up the plants and see what kind of sun they require. My biggest problem is there is no-where in my front yard that gets a lot of sun. Big bummer, I am beginning to be sad :( .......... Thanks again everyone :)

Alyrics, I just planted Lobelia cardinalis last fall, and have a nice robust patch this year that just started blooming yesterday. You're right about the Hummingbirds - little Hummer has been checking out the Lobelia since it started budding. One of the patches of red Monarda isn't far away - and the Hummer goes to both. Such a brilliant red on both of these flowers. Scraplolly, I am growing things like Rudbeckia, Daylilies, and Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) 'Shenandoah' around my Monarda. I kinda let it grow in a naturalized way, Monarda is not really a formal plant. They also grow well with other moisture-lovers like Asclepias incarnata and Joe Pye Weed. For mildew and fungus on Monarda, you are supposed to use a fungicide even before the mildew appears. I'm not that fussy about a little mildew which is only cosmetic - but I had a raging fungus on some susceptible plants this Spring (Monarda, Phlox, Asclepias, Veronicastrum, etc.) and the plants were yellowing and keeling over. So I've sprayed several times using an organic copper-based fungicide from Gardens Alive called "Soap Shield".

Raspberry Wine Monarda was a favorite of hummingbirds last summer. This year it has not fared well with our 2 monsoon June. It has powdery mildew. I sprayed it with fungicide last week, but the first flush was weak. I will be deadheading and spraying again this weekend. Jacob Cline fared better. It is new. The flowers are bigger than Raspberry Wine and very red. Hummers have just begun extended visits this past weekend. Jacob Cline was visited regularly. Also visited often was: Black and Blue Salvia Argentina Skies Salvia Gartenmeister Fuschia