Sundays after church, my dad would pile the family into the car and take us for a drive through the countryside just outside the boundaries of the big city. We would see miles of delicate pink flowers lining the edges of the roads, growing the cracks in the sidewalk, and on the banks of the hills. Pink evening primrose is one of the wildflowers …
Heat-tolerant Plants for Your Garden
For those of us who live in hot locations - or just have really hot summers - planting gardens that include heat-tolerant plants means we have more color in our garden for longer in the season. Find the best heat-tolerant plants for your garden.
Partridge Pea: Butterfly Host Plant & Pollinator Plant
Summer is the time of the year that you’ll see the bright yellow flowers of partridge pea blooming along the side of the road or along streams and ditches. They will continue to flower from late summer to early fall. Creates Food for Pollinators & Wildlife This little plant packs a mighty punch when it comes to benefiting …
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The Showstopping Daylily
As I go about my daily routine each morning, I usually have a few minutes to check out my garden before I head to the office. One of my favorite spots in my yard is the 3 feet of ground surrounding my mailbox. The soil here is terrible and I didn't do anything to amend it, but I insisted on putting some plants here so that I wouldn't have to …
Prairie Blue-eyed Grass
It's early April, but I've already started mowing the grass. The backyard just got a little too unruly, and I have already gotten my first tick of the season. This is always a sign that it's time to mow. I try never to walk through grass higher than my ankle for that reason. Now, I try to keep the front yard nice and well maintained, so the …
Mexican Sunflower: How to Grow and Care for Tithonia rotundifolia
I love the multiple, bright orange flowers that this annual plant produces, but it's not just me! Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) is by far the most popular plant for pollinators in my butterfly garden. Mexican Sunflower is a Great Pollinator Plant The hummingbirds, finches, bees, and butterflies constantly fly in and around the flowers of …
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Joe Pye Weed: Native Plant that Attracts Bees & Butterflies
Despite the name, you’ll find this ‘weed’ in more and more gardens. Joe Pye Weed is a good garden staple for attracting pollinators from bees to butterflies. I planted it last fall and this summer the blooms have been prolific and I have seen all sorts of bees, wasps, and flies feeding on the nectar. Joe Pye weed flowers are gorgeous. The stem …
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