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You are here: Home / Archives for bees

June 1, 2016

Spotted Jewelweed: Touch-me-not plant

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

If you've got soil that stays wet most of the time, then this is the plant for you. It's native to most of the lower 48 states and it prefers shade to part-shade - even better! In its native habitat, you'll find it alongside roads in ditches that stay wet most of the time, alongside a river or stream, in wetlands or boggy places, and in other moist soil areas. It prefers shady areas, though it can take some morning sun. Wildlife Uses The … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies, Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moist soil, native plants, part shade, shade plant, wildflowers

August 25, 2015

Top 5 benefits of gardening with native plants

Swamp mallow

Native plants are adapted to the soil, temperature, rainfall, and fauna in the area in which they grow. As a result, they provide some benefits to the gardener and local wildlife that non-native plants bought from your local garden store may not. I like the look of native plants in my garden. I tend to mix them in with exotic plants and I end up with a pleasing hodgepodge of plants in my garden. Some native plants may look a little to “weedy” … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, bees, birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, native plants

April 9, 2015

Red Buckeye Flowers For Butterflies, Bees, and Hummingbirds

Red Buckeye Flowers

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) The bright red flowers of this native shrub are a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies in early spring. In the southeast, it blooms in late March and early April and you can hear the hummingbirds buzzing around the blooms. The red buckeye always catches my eye when it is blooming. These tall shrubs are usually covered in red blooms. This weekend there was a good hatching of eastern black swallowtails in my area … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies, Flowers & Plants, Shrubs, Trees, Wildlife / backyard habitat, bees, butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, native plants, part shade, spring, spring flowers, wildlife

March 24, 2015

Rosepink (Sabatia angularis)

Rosepink, photo by Paul Jacobs

This beauty can be found growing in the majority of the United States. It is native to the eastern U.S. - as far east as Kansas and Illinois and down to New Mexico and north to Wisconsin. It is also native to Ontario, Canada. Its vibrant pink or white flowers bloom in July through September and are about 1 inch in diameter with 5 petals. The unique star-shaped center of the flower is yellow-green and outlined with a red border. Anthers on the … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / bees, butterflies, flowers, full sun, native plants, part shade, plant identification, propagation, propagation. wildflowers, Summer, wildflowers

February 27, 2015

Bear’s Foot or Hairy Leafcup

Bear's Foot, Photo by Paul Jacobs

Native to the eastern United States, up to Michigan, and across to Texas and Kansas, this perennial plant can be found in forest gaps, along the edges of fields and forests, in thickets, bottomlands, and grasslands. It can grow in full sun or part shade and in a wide range of soil moisture conditions. Plant Description Bear’s foot (Smallanthus uvedalius (L.) Mack. Ex Small (synonym: Polymnia uvedalia)) can grow to be eight to ten feet tall. It … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / bees, fall, full sun, native plants, part shade, plant identification, propagation. wildflowers, wildflowers, wildlife

October 24, 2014

False Garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve)

False Garlic - Nothoscordum bivalve

I love the flowers of false garlic, which bloom in large numbers, but as the blooms fade, the grass-like leaves are quite abundant. I prefer not to have them in my flower beds, but I leave it blooming in the lawn and will not cut the grass until the blooms are done. It blooms in early spring in sunny locations with well-drained soil. Plant Description Also known as crow poison, Nothoscordum bivalve is a perennial flowering plant that grows … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / bees, butterflies, full sun, native plants, spring, spring flowers, wildflowers

August 12, 2014

Cutleaf Coneflower: Rudbeckia laciniata

Cutleaf Coneflower

Native to North America, this tall flowering perennial in the Asteraceae family makes a statement in my garden. Not only is it a prolific bloomer, but it also attracts all sorts of insects – bees, butterflies, and other insects. With a height of almost 6 feet, it towers around the base of the sycamore that I have it planted around. The leaves of this plant are highly lobed, making it look like the leaf has been “torn” – hence the source of the … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, bees, butterflies, flowers, full sun, native plants, part shade, plant identification, Summer, wildflowers

July 22, 2014

Echinacea species – Flowering plants for bees, butterflies, and birds

Butterflies and bees just love coneflowers in the genus Echinacea. You are probably familiar with purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), but there are many cultivars now available in a variety of colors: red, pink, white, orange, yellow, cream, green, and gold. There are even Echinacea flowers with double blooms. Echinacea is native to the central and eastern United States and can be found growing in prairies, fields, and even in open woods. … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, bees, birds, butterflies, fall, flowers, full sun, hummingbirds, native plants, Summer

June 16, 2014

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...]

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

March 10, 2014

Cross Vine: Bignonia capreolata

Crossvine flowers

As a native plant, cross vine has a big advantage - it's easy to grow, hardy, tolerates the heat, has a low water requirement, and can grow in both full sun and part shade. It's in the same family as trumpet creeper (Bignoniaceae) and the flowers are very similar - trumpet-shaped, 2" long tubular and bright orange-red/yellow. Cross vine is native to the Southeast from Florida to Texas and up to West Virginia: Zones 6-9. My first encounter with … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / bees, flowers, full sun, hummingbirds, native plants, plant identification, propagation, rooting, vines, wildflowers, winter

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About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Georgia Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With more than 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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