Anyone know anything about "Monarda?"

And maybe some Monarda Didyma.

Orange and purple (or variations on it) is my favorite color combination. That looks awesome, Ned. And love those beautiful mopheads . . .

The blue ones in the Monarda pic are Self Heal-Prunella Vulgaris (I think).

I would love some of that - will have to look around. Is it relatively easy care?

Katie59-it is a native plant-you might find some along the riverbanks there.It is also pretty invasive,which I didn't realize when I planted it.If you can find self heal along the river,you'll probably also find some wild mint,which I think has a better flavor & smell than peppermint or spearmint.I've transplanted lots of that into my garden beds in their own controlled areas.

It did look familiar - maybe what I need to do is get ids on some of my unidentied natives. It's very pretty as a foil to the stand-out plants. And wild mint - I didn't even know we had one!!

YEP-we do.It's Mentha Arvensis-If you know of any old beaverponds gone dry,it'll grow there.Also in the high water areas on the riverbanks here.I think you have the Woodinville River there.Or any other stream when the rainy season is over.

I live not far from Bear Creek. And it's wetlands all around (as a matter of fact, that's why my road's a dead-end and nobody will build on the other side of it. What I might do is go to the little nursery around the corner that has a nature walk and ask about/look for it there. That creek has salmon migrating, beavers and one can surprise the occasional blue heron looking for lunch. Gotta find it in my handy weeds of western washington book and take the picture with me.

This'll be fun. Getting in touch with your natives is really all about exploring your environment and truly appreciating it, isn't it?

I love this catalog

http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/webcat_color2007.pdf

Interesting. Wallace Hansen has prunella vulgaris. No mentha arvensis in the catalog, but he may have some on the property. I'll be down in Corvallis, Oregon next weekend - I'm hoping to be able to sneak out a big and check out his nursery - maybe meet him. Wouldn't that be cool?

Sounds like a good place to look.The self heal blooms here in July.The mint should just be popping up from the roots down there.Won't be very high yet.

That Wallace Hansen nursery sounds like a fun visit.Have fun.I don't think you'll find wild mint at a nursery.They'll sell peppermint & others.I'll post a pic later on of my biggest mint bed when it starts growing.

That self heal looks and acts just like Ajuga in my yard. I would not put it in on purpose. I pull it by the bucket full every year.

Hi there I'm late on the smiley face but I need to try ^_^

This is not my favorite shot....I will post it when I find it.

Oh Shadow ~ I LOVE that! What a nice color combo! Hope mine gets to that point some day.

The other picture was actually taken when the Monarda was in full full bloom, diffferent angle as well. I drove all over the county to different nursuries to find Monarda 2 years ago, not even realizing that what I had in my raised bed was actually that plant. A lady I know in a neighboring town just dugs stuff up and drops it by, sometime not even telling me what it is....LOL Long story short, what I purchased is still 1 quarter the size of the plants that she gave me. I had to split that bunch up last year and have 2 huge batches of it. I don't yet know enogh about seed collecting, but people are welcome to them....

Thanks for the compliments

I've got more Monarda than I know what to do with, but I absolutely love it - touching the foliage and receiving that lovely fragrance is such a gift!

Shadow, love your combination.

Hi. I have 3 areas of Monareda. One area is spreading really wide. I'm wondering if I can take a shovel and cut it in half and move it out somewhere else? I love the plant but it is taking a big section of one side of my garden. Anyone know if its easy to transplant?

Angela

Really, really easy to transplant, Angela! Have no fear. If it looks "sad" at first, it will recover.

Great. So the part of the plant that I leave behind wont suffer? Just the part I move may look sad?

I don't recall the part I left looking bad, but if it did, it would bounce back. I've got all sorts of "new" plants potted up that I roughly separated from the others. Frankly, it's one plant I'm not even careful with when I divide it!!

I was not nice at all to the one that is in the picture, as it's in a raised bed and difficult to get to, but I cut it in half and it didn't faze it one bit, and I think the transplant is twice the size of the one you see.....although more woody....still beautiful though.

Here is a different picture of the Monarda prior to the Black-eye-Susan blooming to its fullest.

Forgot the photo...lol

Shadow ~ so NICE! And Hi Angel. It's good to see people outside of the PNW joining in! Welcome to our little corner of gardening heaven.

Carole ~ if you ever want to adopt out some of the monarda you have potted up, I would be happy to take some from you. How's everything going with Steve?

Things are pretty difficult for Steve right now - we're still in the land of the "unknown." Should get some answers on Tuesday when we see the surgeon. Scary, though.

You are certainly welcome to some of my Monarda - we'll figure a time for me to give it to you . . . or maybe my granddaughter could get it from me and give it to Tills and Tills could give it to you? LOL - such a delivery system . . . gotta love it!

Shadow, I forgot to mention your statue - I love it! I collect statues of children, actually have too many but really enjoy them.

ShadowJack-is that chamomile I see lurking in the background of second pic?Great pics.I've had Monarda Didyma for 3 years now,it's hardy at least to Z6.

Thats okay by me Carole, as long as you can send so my way too, or I won't give Sheri hers. Ha Ha

Welcome our world, Shadow and Angle. We do have fun.

^_^
Tills

Thanks all.....I wish the other flowers were in more of Bloom as in the other photo. The plant in the background?....the coneflower? not sure what other one you could be seeing. And the statue is a favorite of mine.....A little boy with his puppy. I got it because it reminded me of my boy when he was a puppy.