Spark summer with a vibrant mix of scarlet bee balm, cool-blue garden phlox, and fragrant anise hyssop. This border glows at golden hour, draws hummingbirds and butterflies, and perfumes the path. Layered heights, long bloom, and easy care make it a joyful, wildlife-friendly show from midsummer into fall.
Step up to this summer border and you can almost hear it working—bees bumbling, butterflies drifting, and the whole planting quietly buzzing with life. It’s the kind of garden that doesn’t just look good; it feels alive, like it’s hosting a tiny festival every warm evening.
Front and center are those generous cushions of Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’, piling up in cool violet-lavender clusters. As the light starts to soften toward dusk, the color seems to deepen and glow, giving the border that “stay a little longer” mood. Phlox has a way of reading as both calming and luxurious—like a breath of cool air on a hot day.
Then come the fireworks: Monarda ‘Beauty of Cobham’ with its shaggy, tufted blooms in a dreamy pinkish-purple, and the bold, unapologetic scarlet of Monarda ‘Gardenview Scarlet’. Together they create that perfect push-pull of soft and vivid—romantic on one side, sizzling on the other. And if you lean in close, there’s that unmistakable bee balm fragrance, spicy-sweet and summery.
Threaded through it all, Agastache foeniculum rises in slim lavender columns, adding height and a gentle sway whenever the breeze passes. It’s the plant that keeps the whole scene moving. Bonus: the leaves smell like anise when you brush them—one of those small garden surprises that makes you grin.
The best part? This border doesn’t just perform for you. It’s a nonstop nectar bar for pollinators, and it rewards you every day with color, scent, and easy, generous abundance.
| Hardiness |
4 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 8 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Neutral, Alkaline |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Fragrant, Cut Flowers, Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Midwest, Illinois, Iowa |
| Tolerance | Deer |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
| Hardiness |
4 - 8 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
1 - 8 |
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Neutral, Alkaline |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Fragrant, Cut Flowers, Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Midwest, Illinois, Iowa |
| Tolerance | Deer |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
Recreate this garden. Specify the percentages you would like to have of each plant and input the dimensions of your garden space.We'll give you a shopping list so you know how many plants you need.
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Monarda 'Gardenview Scarlet' (Bee Balm) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Monarda 'Beauty of Cobham' (Bee Balm) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Phlox paniculata 'Blue Paradise' (Garden Phlox) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
