香脂:被遗忘的花园宝藏
It’s always fun to grow something different in the garden. This year you may want to try a flower from the past. Balsam is a charming, heirloom flower with delicate blooms. 蜜蜂喜欢香脂，你也一样!
胶(凤仙花) was treasured by gardeners in the early 1900s but seems to have been forgotten. You won’t find balsam plants at most garden centers this spring when you look among the marigolds, 牵牛花和凤仙花.
Even if a garden center offered balsam, you probably would not give it a second look. When it is young, all you see is a single stem covered from top to bottom with pointy leaves. There are no flowers to draw your attention. Perhaps its inconspicuous appearance as a young plant is why few gardeners have discovered balsam.
香脂是一种容易生长的一年生植物. It adapts well to both sunny and partially shaded conditions. Balsam grows especially well in sunny sites that are out of the harsh afternoon sun.
Balsam may be planted in containers or in garden beds. Seeds may be started indoors or directly sown in the garden.
The plants are sturdy, upright and narrow, growing about 12 to 36 inches tall. Blooms come in shades of pink, red, white and light purple.
The flowers may be a little hard to see as they are nestled between the leaves along the stem. Some gardeners pick off a few of the leaves to reveal more of the flowers, 但我更喜欢香脂自然的样子. Bees and hummingbirds have no problems seeing the flowers. 他们喜欢香脂.
We tested two varieties of balsam, ‘Camellia-Flower Mix’ and ‘Bush Mix’, in the 2020 北达科他州家庭花园品种试验. Most of these gardeners had never heard of balsam before. Each variety received high scores and enthusiastic recommendations from gardeners. 评论包括:
“This is my first-time growing balsam and I loved it! It was loaded with bees and hummingbirds! I will be adding this flower to my pollinator garden next year! … Both varieties were very healthy and bloomed like crazy!”
“Both varieties grew extremely well and were an amazing addition to the garden … Both made a very impressive floral display both in garden and as cut flowers. The absolute best part—the bees loved both varieties.”
“两个品种都很漂亮. It made me think I was vacationing in Hawaii. This was my first try at planting balsam! 种一些不同的东西很有趣!”
“I had never grown balsam and didn’t know what to expect. 这些植物表现得很好. … None of the plants developed disease and they bushed out nicely and bloomed for a long period. 都有各种各样的颜色. I’m glad I tried balsam and would grow either variety again.”
“我从来没有听说过这种花. 非常耐寒，漂亮的花. … They were the best flowers I had of all my tests.”
“Balsam was a hardy plant that was able to stand the winds in our area. … They were great for fillers in flowerpots and adding interest in the garden.”
“It had strong stems for a vase arrangement. I had not grown balsam before but will add it in the middle of my plantings.”
“This was my first experience with balsam. Despite the heat and dry summer, both varieties did very well. 它们颜色鲜艳，有3英尺高. The seed pods were interesting, and I saved a few to plant next spring. Balsam is a lovely addition to any garden!”
These gardeners were surprised and enchanted by balsam. You may wish to give this heirloom a try yourself. 你和蜜蜂都会很高兴的.
