Monarda ‘Petite Delight’ has a few things to get off her petals. Management at May Dreams Gardens is not responsible for nor necessarily agrees with the statements and opinions of this plant.
“Hello… is this keyboard working? It is? Okay. Well now, we, Monarda ‘Petite Delight’, have just a few things to say.
First of all, we were totally, unjustly and without second thought passed over for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and now we are being featured on this meme called Wildflower Wednesday, sponsored by Gail at Clay and Limestone.
Do we look like wildflowers? Don’t answer that, we look all messed up right now because we’ve been blooming for weeks and all this rain has really done a number on our petals. Well, that is sort of right. Okay, we admit it. Our petals look this way rain or shine!
Anyway, we are too often associated with our wildflower cousins, that Monarda, also known as bee balm, the ones that spread all over the garden and self-sow, too. Really, they are just wild beyond belief and more than once I’ve seen management here at May Dreams Gardens yank them out by their roots and toss them onto the compost heap.
Shudder!
Anyway, we aren’t that wild. We are a fancy hybrid, after all, though we aren’t quite sure of our parentage. But never mind that. We are good flowers, even selected as an outstanding perennial by the Chicago Botanic Garden! We stay tidy and neat and we don’t get tall like our wild cousins.
Plus, we rarely get powdery mildew.
Second of all, who can we complain to about being planted way out here in the vegetable garden? We got moved here this spring. Hello?! We are perennials. We are not vegetables! We will admit that our wild cousins were often used for medicinal purposes, and we are proud of them for that, but we…
Oh my sweet pea! Blooming radishes! What in the name of chicory and dandelions happened to our original flower bed?
And where did the patio go? My goodness. Never mind. We take back our complaint. We are fine back here with the vegetables. That other area has gone to… well wildflowers, if you want to stretch your imagination and call those weeds by the fancy name “wildflowers”. I sure hope management has a plan for that area. Thank goodness we are back here safe and sound in the vegetable garden!
We are sorry to have shown you that mess. Really, truly, sorry. We recommend that you visit Clay and Limestone just as soon as possible to see pretty wildflowers and check out all the other posts for Wildflower Wednesday. It should help you rid that horrifying image of our former flower bed and patio from your mind. Tell ‘em Monarda ‘Petite Delight’ sent you!”
Management at May Dreams Gardens would like to assure Monarda ‘Petite Delight’ and everyone else that there is a plan for the patio area… a new, bigger patio.
I have Monardas in my garden, 'Petite Delight' too. I really love them for their unusual flowers and scent.
Carol, Excellent! I have to agree that the new monarda cultivars are outstanding plants~In fact several reside in my garden and their nice green leaves are are a pleasure to see unblemished. Glad you joined WW for the celebration! gail
Dear 'Petite Delights,' I have three of your sisters living here, and I can attest that they have been very well-behaved and understand their boundaries. They also play nicely with bees and butterflies. I understand your consternation with being moved to the vegetable patch, but I'm sure Carol will soon find you a permanent home where everyone can appreciate your beauty and good manners.
Alas, I only have 'wild' monardas in my garden, but the crimson variety growing next to the Black Beauty lilies is a gorgeous happy accident. I like the bright red bee balm, too and it is very popular in our area. Petite Delight has opened up a whole new monarda world to me. Thank you.
Uh-oh … now the plants have started blogging, too????!!!!
Hello Monarda 'Petite Delight', I have a friend of yours over here at RDR, Monarda 'Grand Mum'. I know, she thinks it's a stupid name too, but like you, she is very mannerly and lovely to gaze upon. Have a beautiful sunny day there.~~Dee
Monarda 'Petite Delight' sure is a pretty thing. I'm experimenting with just one Monarda this year, but it's not blooming yet. I hope it's as well-behaved and mildew-resistant as you are.
I've got 'Petite Delight' and 'Petite Wonder' and love them both! But my favorite (so far) is 'Coral Reef.' The color on it is out of this world. Not quite coral, but better than hot pink, it just glows during "The Golden Hour" in the evenings. And Monarda of any kind is a favorite of the Hummningbird Moths here. I saw my first on yesterday on 'Coral Reef.'
Can't wait to see your new patio!
My one monarda makes leaves but hasn't made one single bloom in 6 years…bet it wishes it were out of TX and in your garden, Carol – even if relegated to the vegetable patch ;-]
Can't wait to see the patio…
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I planted Petite Delight last summer and she's a sweetie in my garden too…love her short stature and her anti-social (non-spreading) ways!!