A pair of hummingbirds have been particularly active in the garden in recent weeks. Unfortunately, I don’t have the patience to wait to catch a photograph of them, but the likely spot to capture a picture would be when they visit the flowers of ‘Black and Blue’ salvia that borders the garden’s largest pond. This…
Category: Native plants
Disappearing coneflowers
My garden seems particularly ill suited to growing coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, below). These are tough native perennials that require a mostly sunny and well drained location. They are not particular about soil, and need little care. Through the years I’ve planted a handful or two, mindful to provide a dry, sunny environment, but eventually they…
Butterflies visit the Franklin tree
There are days when butterflies favor one flower rather than another, though all are at their peak bloom and likely to be brimming with nectar. On this muggy, overcast August evening every fifth flower of the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha, below) hosts an Eastern Tiger swallowtail. The tree is probably twenty feet tall, and there…
Odd and wonderful
Even in the heat of summer there are wonderful and odd happenings in the garden. One recent afternoon I was astounded by the number of dragonflies in the neighborhood of the large swimming pond, and no wonder there are fewer mosquitoes in the rear garden. There are plenty of mosquitoes in the side yard, in…
Mountain mint
The native Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum, below) is the busiest plant in the garden. Not only for a few weeks, but from early July through September the abundant blooms are constantly visited by bees, moths, and butterflies. Not only a few, but hoards, enough nasty looking bees and wasps that I fear to go close,…
Oh no! Don’t chop the spigelia
Do not plant Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica, below) near the edge of a garden bed! In fact, there should have been no problem with planting this small, spreading native perennial within inches of the lawn. I mow the small areas of lawn myself. I’ve never ceded this duty to my sons, and certainly not to my…
Yes, there are butterflies
I’ve recently commented on the lack of butterflies in the garden this summer. But, like many of my most astute observations, as soon as I pronounce my conclusions I’m quickly proven incorrect. This bothers me only slightly. Gardeners are accustomed to being wrong, though it’s helpful that natural forces beyond my control are most often…
Enthusiastic, not invasive
The past few weeks have been hot, real hot! In only a few weeks lawn grasses turned from lush green to straw colored, and the deep greens of the garden faded a few shades. Some plants pay no attention, and even thrive in the heat. Plume poppy (Macleaya cordata, above) grows exuberantly to fill whatever space…
Buttonbush
There are few woody plants that prefer constantly damp soils, and fewer that thrive in standing water. A year ago I was marginally aware of the native buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), but took more notice with a swarm of bees and butterflies buzzing about a small patch of glossy leafed shrubs with odd, pin cushion-like blooms…
Wilting, but willing
The foliage of the passion flower vine (Passiflora incarnata, flowering in August, below) has wilted. I can’t imagine that this vigorous native vine is in trouble, but I’ll be certain to give it a sip of water or two through the hot, dry weather that’s expected over the next week. I planted the passion flower…
Ready for summer
Over the weekend I noticed that coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, below) in the neighborhood are flowering, and it hadn’t occurred to me until now that they’ve disappeared from my garden. There are a number of reasons. I’ve planted a handful of newly introduced coneflowers over the past five or six years, and many gardeners have found…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 