Summer Symphony: A Garden with Bee Balm, Verbena, and Swaying Grasses

This garden features an eye-catching combination of Bee balm (Monarda), Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum), Allium, Verbena, and Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa), creating a dynamic landscape full of texture, color, and movement. By incorporating a mix of tall and airy plants, this design adds vertical interest and ensures a long-lasting display throughout the growing season. Here’s what you need to know if you want to recreate this garden:

Why Create This Garden?

This garden is perfect for attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds while providing structure and seasonal interest. The airy forms of Verbena and Allium pair beautifully with the boldness of Bee Balm and the graceful grasses of Deschampsia, creating a balance between strong architectural elements and flowing textures. It also ensures a prolonged blooming period from late spring to fall, with plants offering blooms at different times.

Key Plants and Their Roles

Monarda (Bee Balm)

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
• Native Habitat: Native to North America, found in moist meadows and woodland edges.
• Role in the Garden: Known for its aromatic foliage and striking, tubular flowers, Monarda blooms from summer to fall in shades of red, pink, purple, and white. It adds height and texture, while its nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Veronicastrum (Culver’s Root)

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
• Native Habitat: Native to North America, often found in wet meadows and prairies.
• Role in the Garden: Veronicastrum adds vertical interest with its tall spikes of white or lavender flowers that bloom from mid-summer to fall. It pairs well with the airier plants, providing a strong architectural structure and attracting butterflies.

Allium sphaerocephalon (Drumstick Allium)

• Plant Type: Bulbous perennial
• Native Habitat: Native to Europe and western Asia, thriving in dry, open areas.
• Role in the Garden: This ornamental onion adds striking, spherical flower heads that are deep purple in color. Blooming in late spring to early summer, it creates vertical movement with its slender stems and is loved by bees.

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial (often treated as an annual in colder climates)
• Native Habitat: Native to South America, growing in grasslands and open areas.
• Role in the Garden: With tall, slender stems and tiny clusters of lavender flowers, Verbena bonariensis brings an airy, whimsical touch. It blooms from summer through fall and is a pollinator magnet, especially for butterflies.

Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass)

• Plant Type: Ornamental grass
• Native Habitat: Found in temperate regions across Europe, Asia, and North America, often near wetlands or meadows.
• Role in the Garden: This ornamental grass adds softness and movement to the garden. Its fine, airy plumes appear in mid to late summer, creating a beautiful backdrop for the bolder flowering plants.

Why You Should Plant This Combination

• Seasonal Interest: By using a combination of early bloomers like Allium and late bloomers like Bee Balm, you can enjoy a garden that changes and evolves from late spring through fall.
• Pollinator Attractor: This garden is a haven for pollinators, supporting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
• Deer and Rabbit Resistant: The plants in this garden are generally resistant to deer and rabbits, making it a good choice for gardens prone to these pests.
• Texture and Movement: The combination of tall, upright plants and soft grasses creates movement in the wind and adds texture to the landscape.

This combination offers an effortless blend of structure, color, and movement, making it an excellent choice for creating a dynamic, pollinator-friendly garden.