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You are here: Home / Archives for bees

Updated on June 23, 2020

Celebrating Pollinators – Bees, Butterflies, Birds and More

Bumblebee feeding on nectar from a purple salvia

National Pollinator Week occurs in mid- to late-June each year. The goal of this Week is to celebrate the beneficial insects, birds, and mammals that pollinate the flowers of plants that produce much of our food, maintain our ecosystems, stabilize soils, and provide wildlife habitat. It also serves to educate people about what they can do to help pollinators. Why are pollinators important? According to the Pollinator Partnership, … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife / bees, birds, butterflies, insects, pollinators

Updated on July 6, 2018

A Flash Of Pink From the Car Window

Pink Evening Primrose

Sundays after church, my dad would pile the family into the car and take us for a drive through the countryside just outside boundaries of the big city. We would see miles of delicate pink flowers lining the edges of the roads, the cracks in the sidewalk, and the banks of the hills. Pink evening primrose is one of the wildflowers of my childhood. Some people may call it a weed, but this plant holds a special place in my heart. When I see them … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, full sun, native plants, wildflowers

Updated on November 10, 2017

Coral Honeysuckle – Native Vine for Hummingbirds

Coral honeysuckle

Have you ever plucked a honeysuckle flower, turned it around and gently sucked the nectar from the tube-shaped back of the flower? If you grew up in the southeastern U.S., I bet you did. That taste of super-sweet honey nectar always makes me think of summer nights spent chasing fireflies and summer days spent running wild and free. Imagine my surprise when taking a class on native plants and shrubs in college that I learned that the yellow … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, birds, butterflies, deer resistant, flowers, full sun, hummingbirds, moist soil, native plants, spring, spring flowers, vines

Updated on September 26, 2017

Obedient Plant – Physostegia virginiana

Obedient Plant - Physostegia virginiana

Deer-resistant AND it can grow in clay soil - what's not to love about obedient plants? Native plants are favorites of mine because they are particularly suited for the local conditions (soil, heat, drought or rain, clay soil) of my area. When I find those native plants with particularly pretty flowers, I add them to my hodgepodge of a garden. This particular plant was a bonus because it is native to Mississippi, it has lots of lovely pale … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, butterflies, deer resistant, full sun, hummingbirds, moist soil, native plants, part shade

Updated on September 17, 2017

August 2017 – Favorite Photos from My Garden

It's already mid-September and I realized I had not posted my favorite photos from this month. August is always incredibly hot and my garden starts to wane, but there are always a few plants that continue to shine in spite of the heat. This month, its the time for the native plants really to really shine. They can take the heat, because they are made for it. Also, the zinnias continued to produce lots of colorful blooms even as their leaves … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, flowers, Summer

Updated on November 20, 2017

A Spot of Yellow: Native Partridge Pea Butterfly Host Plant

Partridge pea flower

Yesterday morning, I was driving to an appointment and I happened to glance at the side of the road, only to see a flash of bright yellow color. It made me look twice – it was a patch of partridge pea! This 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. Food for Wildlife and Plants … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, birds, butterflies, fall, full sun, native plants, part shade, Summer, wildflowers

Updated on February 27, 2017

Bringing in the Beauty of Spring

Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Spring Beauties Just when I reach my limit with the bleakness of winter and cold temperatures, the tiniest of pink striped flowers start to poke their heads out of lawns and ditches. To me, the Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a harbinger of spring and warmer weather. These flowers bloom just before the false garlic – so they fill up the lawns and ditches before the taller flowers begin to grow leaves and bloom. In … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, full sun, moist soil, native plants, part shade, spring, spring flowers, wildflowers

Updated on November 7, 2019

Fall Asters: Purple Blooms for Bees, Butterflies, & Beauty

Fall blooming aster

Fall in Mississippi still tends toward the warmer temps, which means that bees and butterflies are still hanging around. The scorching heat and sun of the late summer has often killed off many of the most prolific flowering plants, meaning there are less flowers for the pollinators to feed on. Adding a few fall-flowering plants can provide a food source for pollinators and add some extra beauty to your garden for the season. How to Grow Fall … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / bees, butterflies, fall, flowers, full sun, native plants, wildflowers

Updated on April 23, 2017

Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)

I have to say that I love this plant. Nothing says 'good morning to you' like a bright orange flower. But it's not just me! The hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies have all cast their votes too. Just this afternoon I saw a ruby throated hummingbird feeding on one of the flowers. Tithonia is great for attracting and feeding pollinators. Mix it in with a few zinnias and you'll have a busy garden. This is my first year really growing Mexican … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Butterflies, Flowers & Plants / annuals, bees, butterflies, full sun, hummingbirds

Updated on July 22, 2016

Backyard Wildlife Summer 2016

Eastern box turtle

This summer has been full of weird and wonderful backyard wildlife. From a nest of barred owls to frogs to snakes and turtles, I've seen a lot in my garden and backyard. Watching wildlife is one of the things I enjoy so much about my garden and yard. It's why I work hard to create suitable habitat for wildlife. This spring started out unseasonably warm and this summer has only gotten hotter. This week in particular, my state of Mississippi has … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife / amphibians, backyard habitat, bees, birds, butterflies, frogs, reptiles, turtles, wildlife

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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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