- Bees and butterflies are attracted by the high nectar yield of this medium height perennial in an interesting range of reds, pinks and mauves, plus white. Its seed has long been grown for the false bergamot extracted from the young leaves, which make a great addition to pot pourri. Panorama Mixed is an excellent addition to summer borders.
- Bergamot is a trouble-free hardy perennial which flowers for the first time in the year after sowing and in subsequent summers. Monarda didyma, a native of Canada and the USA, was named after the Spanish botanist Nicholas Monardes (1493-1588), author of the first medicinal flora of North America.
Sow indoors, February-May, 0.5cm (¼") deep, in a tray of compost. Water well and place in a cold frame, unheated greenhouse, or on a warm kitchen windowsill. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. Pot on individually, when large enough to handle, to 7.5cm (3") pots. Always hold seedlings by a leaf, never by the stem. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out into rich, well-drained soil, June-September, 45cm (18") apart. Flowers: June-September, the following year.