Garden bee balm: Beauty and pest repellent for summer gardens

The garden bee balm is a plant that catches the eye and repels ticks. For this reason, it is worth planting in the garden to enjoy its beauty and considerable help from July until the end of September.

Nasturtiums, marigolds, calendulas, and matthiolas often decorate our gardens with vibrant colours. This year, it is worth adding another one—the garden bee balm, also known as monarda or bergamot. It is exceptional in terms of colour and helps repel insects.

Burgundy, cream, pink, purple, and yellow. The garden bee balm has flowers in many colours, making it a beautiful addition to any garden. It is no secret that it's hard to pass by it indifferently because of its appearance and its scent.

One of the few plants, bee balm, can smell like lemon, strawberry, or even lavender. This is due to its essential oils, which help attract beneficial insects to the garden, such as butterflies and bees, and repel unwanted insects. Notably, ticks are repelled by the sweet smell of bee balm and will not appear in its vicinity.

Bee balm loves warmth and the sun and will bloom from July to September. If you decide to plant it, choose a sunny or semi-shaded spot. In full shade, it will bloom, but its flowers will be relatively small. Additionally, select fertile, slightly moist soil for it.

Caring for bee balm primarily involves watering and pruning. If the days are hot during the season, this plant requires more frequent watering, but not excessively. Its soil should be slightly moist but not wet.

Pruning should be done only after blooming, which stimulates the bee balm to bloom again. It can also be fertilized with organic fertilizers. Since it is a frost-resistant plant, it does not need covering for the winter.