Chenille, taffeta and velvet may sound like the hottest designer fabrics for 2023, but they are the newest Upscale Monarda, or bee balm, coming out this spring. The Upscale Monarda series from Proven Winners packs native DNA from 23 states and Canada that will allow you to create the pollinator habitat of your dreams.
As you probably have guessed, three colors will be available: Upscale Pink Chenille, Upscale Lavender Taffeta and Upscale Red Velvet. Their sizes go up in that order too, with Pink Chenille at 20-22 inches, Lavender Taffeta at 22-26 inches and Red Velvet up to 32 inches with new growth foliage sporting a bronzy cast.
Botanically speaking, bee balm is in the Lamiaceae, or mint, family. Don’t let this put fear in you, because this just means it has some family members you already love, like salvia, coleus, oregano and thyme. Believe it or not, American beautyberry is also in the family.
The first time I looked at a scarlet or red bee balm through a telephoto lens I thought, "If nature ever had a flower that really looked like an exploding firework, it is this flower." It is a ready-made July 4 event in the garden. I loved my combinations this year, and they have me already dreaming about next year’s garden. But let’s go over the basics first.
The first is acquisition. Despite being native, this is not just a trip to the garden center to pick out a few varieties. Proven Winners now has 14 varieties including the three Upscale selections. Other well-known companies have also debuted dozens of new selections. Oddly, The Garden Guy has only been seen it at the rarest, specialization-type nursery. Hopefully that is about to quickly change, but make your purchase the day you see it, or start making your online search.
If you have ever dreamed of a garden reminiscent of the mountain meadow, make this your first plant. They are recommended for zones 4-8, but I can tell you ours at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden in Savannah, Georgia, were fabulous. They received a little more shade protection from the hot afternoon sun in our cottage garden.
Mountain meadows, cottage gardens, backyard wildlife habitats or modern perennial gardens are all ideal locations for the Upscale Monarda group. They prefer fertile well-drained soil with plenty of sun.
Plan on giving them good spacing for air circulation and to minimize any disease threats. Upscale Red Velvet, for instance, is recommended at a 36-inch spacing. The Garden Guy hasn’t even seen a hint of powdery mildew. They attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, and they are not high on the Bambi menu.
I got to try the Red Velvet and the Lavender Taffeta and was beyond thrilled. In one section of the garden, I partnered the Upscale Red Velvet bee balm with Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine Agastache and Meant to Bee Royal Raspberry Agastache, both new plants in 2023. Next year, I hope to add some rudbeckia and blue agastache like Blue Boa and make it look a little more accidental.
In another area I grew Upscale Lavender Taffeta bee balm with Evergold Carex. Evergold is really a sedge but gives and idyllic grassy texture. My goal next year is to incorporate some of the Luminary Ultraviolet and Luminary Sunset Coral phlox.
This year was a challenge with a late freeze, extreme heat and 30 days straight of no rain. But no matter what occurred, the presence of butterflies and hummingbirds brought pure joy. New plants like the Upscale series of bee balm are sure to bring them in.
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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)
(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)
