Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
A few years ago, I acquired a new plant that has quickly become one of my favorites - Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis). These stunning purple-blue flowers simply captured my heart. I really like incorporating native plants and flowers into my garden. They are easy to grow and very hardy AND they attract butterflies and hummingbirds. (Read my top …
Continue Reading about Stokes Aster – Native Plant With Beautiful Blue Flowers
In late spring and early summer, scentless mock orange (Philadelphus inodorus) is covered with bright white, 4-petaled flowers with a yellow center. These deciduous shrubs make a great privacy screen and are easy to grow. They can reach a height of 12 feet, so prune them back in summer, just after the flowers are over. (The blooms are produced …
If you've got soil that stays wet most of the time, then spotted jewelweed is the plant for you. It's native to most of the lower 48 states and 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 …
Continue Reading about Spotted Jewelweed: Touch-me-not plant
I’m in love with all salvias. They grow really well and are so popular with hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. And did I mention they are beautiful? That’s the perfect combination for my garden. The pineapple sage is no exception. Attract Butterflies with Pineapple Sage This past summer, it was a delight to discover that cloudless …
Continue Reading about Pineapple Sage Brings Fall Color & Butterflies
This is the second year that I planted freesia bulbs. I had a bag that had been in my gardening supplies for a year or so (I have a tendency to put things away and forget about them), so I finally decided to put them in the ground. The results were great! These are such strong-smelling flowers; I recommend you don't cut them to bring them …
You've probably seen the bright yellow-gold blooms of goldenrod along roadsides, in ditches, or fields. This plant is prevalent throughout most of the U.S., except in some northwestern states. It's a plant with a lot of wildlife benefits. Native Range There are about 120 different species of goldenrod and most of them are native to the U.S. …
Continue Reading about Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Benefits Wildlife
