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...]
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...]
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 of … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
Turk’s Cap – Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
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...]
Zinnias
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...]
Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly weed grows throughout most of the United States and parts of Canada. Like its name suggests, it attracts butterflies and it especially beneficial for monarchs whose larvae feed on the leaves of the plant. It also provides a nice splash of bright orange color for your garden. Butterfly weed is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It can grow in dry soils with little trouble and prefers full sun. Although most native butterfly weed is … [Read more...]
Black-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta
Black-eyed Susan is an easy to grow wildflower that is found throughout North America. It is deer resistant, drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies, and birds eat the seeds. In a cluster, this plant provides a great splash of color in your garden. This plant is in the Asteraceae family and it has yellow, orange, or slightly brown petal varieties. Black-eyed Susans bloom in mid to late summer through fall and vary in height from one foot to … [Read more...]
