|
||||
|
holdout flowers in bloom We had a very warm couple of days over the holiday weekend, and a few plants still think it’s summer. Some are putting out a few blooms in the drought-tolerant pollinator garden, even though most of the same species of plants are already setting seed. Annual Garden Impatiens, Impatiens balsamina (upper […] I’m enjoying the abundant life on the purple Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Skipper butterflies are constantly flitting around the blooms, and in addition to the Monarch butterflies, the Black Swallowtails are enjoying the nectar. Black Swallowtail on Purple New England Aster *** This site is comprised solely of the opinions of its author, Stacey Morgan Smith. She […] In early autumn the air is alive with floating flowers as Monarch butterflies fuel up for their migration to Mexico. The favorite in my pollinator garden is this Purple Aster. It was incorrectly labeled “Maryland Goldenaster” when I purchased it a small plant sale. I was initially sorry I didn’t go home with the Chrysopsis mariana […] October is here, and milkweed seedpods are maturing. Time to collect seed! Milkweed is vital to our environment. It’s the host plant for Monarch caterpillars and a nectar source for numerous different insects. (I also caught the resident groundhog eating seedlings, but I certainly don’t grow it for him!) To collect the seed, I like […] Want height, color, and pollinators in your late-season perennial bed? Add perennial sunflowers and their relatives, as well as false sunflowers. Helianthus species and Heliopsis species are irresistible to butterflies. Elecampane (Inula helenium – upper right) is a summer bloomer that attracts a wide variety of pollinators, including bees and hover flies. Often growing 6 to […] |
||||
