As I look back at this gardening year, one of the plants I enjoyed most was the Upscaled Red Velvet monarda or bee balm. I am in my third year growing this fairly new variety, and it is just getting ...

Bee balm is a must for summer gardens because it provides a month or more of colorful blooms. Several monarda species -- including red-flowered M. didyma and lavender-flowered M. fistulosa -- are ...

Bee balm is a pretty perennial lavender-colored flower native to Wisconsin prairies. It goes by a few other names including monarda, wild bergamot and Oswego tea. The Latin name is Monarda fistulosa.