Pardon My Lavender Bee Balm

If you have grown bee balm before, you will know just how invasive the older varieties can be – but the Pardon My Lavender Bee Balm has much better manners, and won’t try to take over your garden at all. Indeed, it stays as a dense, compact clump, rising to no more than 18 inches, and spreading to around 2 feet across. That makes it perfect for edging your perennial or shrub beds, or planting among other garden plants, with no fear of invasion. It has full-sized heads of flowers, curious narrow, arching trumpets, of a lovely, rich, lavender color. The whole plant – leaves and flowers – smells delicious, with a fragrant, slightly citrus aroma, and can be used to make a delicious tea. The flowers attract hordes of pollinating insects and hummingbirds – the nectar must be delicious. It stays in bloom for up to 2 months at the beginning of summer, and unlike other, inferior dwarf varieties, the blooms are large and abundant, creating a gorgeous mound of color. This variety also has excellent resistance to that nasty powdery mildew, which makes older types of bee balm so unsightly later in the season.

• A stunning display of large, lavender blooms through summer
• More compact and less invasive than older varieties
• Adored by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
• Highly resistant to that unsightly powdery mildew disease
• Dry some leaves to make a delicious tea, used by the rebels during the Revolution

Plant your Pardon My Lavender Bee Balm out in full sun, if you have moist soil, or with some afternoon shade in drier conditions. It does enjoy, and needs, reasonable amounts of water, but will grow happily in ordinary garden soil, but not in dry conditions. It really thrives in richer soils, that are damp to even wet, and will grow beside water happily. With its excellent resistance to powdery mildew it remains attractive all summer long. It isn’t bothered by pests or diseases, and not eaten by deer. It is worth taking the time to cut off the dead flower heads, as this encourages more to develop, keeping your plant in bloom for the longest possible time. In fall cut the whole plant down to ground level, and cover it with an inch of rich compost, so that it sprouts vigorously the next spring.