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...]
Cactus in the Garden
Cacti make very interesting additions to an outdoor rock garden or as an indoor plant. Cactus plants add color and interest to your garden and do well in bright direct sunlight and drier, well-draining soils. These are photos of some of the interesting and unusual cacti that I have grown. This is Notocactus (Notocactus ubelmannianus), but it has pink flowers. Once the days reached 75 and the sun was on it, it started to bloom in my rock … [Read more...]
Swamp Mallow: A Hardy, Native Hibiscus for Wet Soils
Perfect for Wet Soil Got swampy soil? Then this is the perfect flowering plant solution for your garden. Native to the marshes and swamps of the southeastern states – from Louisiana to North Carolina –swamp mallows (Hibiscus coccineus) actually prefer wet soil and even standing water. I had one spot in my front flowerbeds that none of my favorite plants would grow in – the roots of the plants were just rotting. The soil was pure Mississippi … [Read more...]
Dianthus: Pinks, Carnations, and Sweet Williams
The Dianthus in my garden are one of the first flowers to bloom in early spring, just after the daffodils are done. These are the low-growing variety with pink, red, or white flowers. The plants are covered in blooms and come back every year. Many Dianthus are perennial and range in height from a low ground cover (4-5 inches) to the tall carnations (around 2-3 feet). They prefer well-drained soil and will not tolerate wet conditions. This is … [Read more...]
Daffodils from the garden
The daffodils were so beautiful this year, I just had to share the photos I took. Enjoy! … [Read more...]
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...]
Cross Vine: Bignonia capreolata
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...]
Signs of Spring: Early blooming flowers in my garden
Although it was muddy, I took a walk through my yard this afternoon before heading back to the office. I was really looking at the vegetable plots I just planted although it's only been a few days. I'm already on seed watch, waiting for the signs of the first sprouts. But while traipsing through the yard, I started to see the signs of spring starting to show. I took some photos of some of my favorites. Spring beauties can be found in the … [Read more...]
The Many Faces of Salvia: Beautiful butterfly and hummingbird attracting flowers
Salvia is definitely one of my favorite garden plant genera. There are just so many choices and they are hardy and the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds love them. Here are some of my favorites from my garden. All mentioned are perennial. Mexican salvia - Salvia leucantha These purple and white flowers are fuzzy! Who could ask for more? They get about 3-4 feet tall and are bush-like. Perennial. Tolerant of a variety of soils but does not like … [Read more...]
Guide to Planting Spring-flowering Bulbs in Fall
With spring around the corner, I am anticipating the bloom of spring-flowering bulbs. If you planted yours in the fall, you should expect to start seeing them in late winter or early spring. There’s nothing like the early color to break up the bleakness of the winter garden. Daffodils Daffodils or narcissus come in a variety of color variations – yellows, pinks, oranges, whites, double-flowered, trumpet, and miniature. These flowering bulbs … [Read more...]