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Updated on March 29, 2017

Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies with Bee Balm (Monarda spp)

Purple bee balm

If you’re looking for a native, perennial plant to add to your garden that will be easy to care for, add great color to your garden, and also attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, bee balm (Monarda sp.) is a good choice. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees feed on the nectar of this flower. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Monarda has a special value to native bees. Bee balm is in the mint family; its leaves are … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Butterflies, Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, bees, butterflies, flowers, full sun, hummingbirds, native plants, part shade, propagation, rooting, Summer, wildflowers

Updated on November 1, 2017

Food Plants for Butterflies and Caterpillars

If you like butterflies, than planting both plants that host the larvae and feed the butterflies are important. These are some of the flowering herbaceous plants (and one vine) suitable for planting in the southeast for the butterflies that we have here. Flowering plants that are host to larvae of the butterfly Flowering plants that provide nectar for butterflies This gulf fritillary butterfly emerged from a cocoon in my yard in 2015. I … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Butterflies, Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, butterflies, flowers, native plants

Updated on August 24, 2017

Purple Passionflower: Passiflora incarnata

Purple passionflower, also known as maypop, is a relatively quick-growing, perennial, herbaceous vine in the Passifloraceae family. You can find this vine growing throughout the Southeast from Texas to Kansas up to Pennsylvania and down to Florida. In Mississippi, I’ve often seen it in pastures or open fields. It’s a great addition to an arbor or trellis and provides necessary food for the larvae of several butterfly species. The flower is … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, butterflies, native plants, vines, wildflowers, wildlife

Updated on July 19, 2016

Backyard Wildlife: The Critters in My Garden

For me, half of the fun of having a garden is watching the critters that come to enjoy it. Here are some of the critters that have shown up in my garden (and my family's garden) in the last couple of years. Learn more about backyard habitat by reading these articles Food plants for caterpillars and butterflies How to Create Good Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard Plants that provide food and shelter in fall and winter for wildlife … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, garden pest

Updated on January 21, 2020

How to Create Good Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard

If your garden includes sources of food throughout the year, water, a variety of structure (height and shape) that can be used for cover, and plenty of places for animals to create nests in to reproduce, it’s likely that you already have lots of wildlife in your yard. Wildlife requires 4 things to thrive Food Water Cover Places to reproduce Food Native plants are a great source of food for wildlife. You’ll need a mixture … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, hummingbirds

Updated on December 13, 2019

Plants that provide food and shelter in fall and winter for wildlife

If you’d like to see more wildlife in your garden in winter, be sure to include plants that provide food and cover in the fall and winter. Some of these plants are evergreen, providing necessary cover, and some have fruits, seeds, or nuts that persist into winter.  Here are some (mostly native) plant suggestions that can be used in Zone 7b and throughout much of the southeast. Trees Apples (Malus spp.) American beech (Fagus … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, fall, native plants, plant identification, winter

Updated on April 6, 2015

Why I Garden: Health, Wildlife Watching, and Home-Grown Produce

I have to get my hands in the dirt and grow something. It just seems to put the world right. Gardening has always helped me to de-stress and allows me the time to process the events of the day. Health benefits of gardening I’ve always felt this way about gardening, but recently I came across some research that backs up these feelings. Research has shown that being active outdoors increases memory, concentration and attention span while … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Uncategorized / backyard habitat, thoughts

Updated on September 18, 2017

American Beautyberry: Callicarpa americana

Found throughout the southeast, American beautyberry is a perennial native shrub that produces bright purple berries. The berries which appear in late summer and fall add a spot of bright color in shady areas. The summer flowers are somewhat inconspicuous, but can add some lavender color to your garden. The flowers attract bees and butterflies. Beautyberry grows rather quickly and generally grows well in part-shade but can also be planted … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants, Shrubs, Wildlife / backyard habitat, berries, native plants, plant identification, shrubs

Updated on July 11, 2017

Turk’s Cap – Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii

Turks Cap

Turk’s cap is a perennial, deciduous, shrub-like plant native to the Southeastern United States. It produces small (2-3 inch) red flowers that resemble a closed-up hibiscus. In the Malvaceae family, it is also commonly known as wax mallow, Texas mallow, manzanilla, and sleeping hibiscus, among other common names. This plant flowers in the summer and fall (from May to November) and the flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, native plants, plant identification, propagation, wildflowers

Updated on January 4, 2016

Zinnias

Pink zinnia

Zinnias are annual plants in the Asteraceae family that offer a wide variety of heights, colors, and types of flowers. Zinnias are very easy to grow and require little maintenance but offer bright, showy flowers. They attract butterflies and make excellent cut flowers. Plant heights range from 6 inches to several feet tall. Zinnias can be grown in zones 1 through 10. They prefer well-drained, fertile soil and should be grown in full sun. How … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, butterflies, flowers, plant identification

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About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Mississippi Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With over 25 years of gardening, I am far from an expert, but I learn from all my experiments. This blog talks about the plants, backyard critters, and more that have made my garden special. Read More

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