Week of August 22nd

Cup Plant

Cup plants 'Silphium perfoliatum' are tall, really tall, reaching six feet or more in ideally moist soils.  Not a good choice for smaller gardens, its height beckons butterflies in July and seed-eating birds later in the summer.  Because its leaves are “cupped” around its stems, this native plant provides small drinking vessels for birds and other thirsty creatures.  It will grow well in average garden soil and in heavier, wetter soil.

Short-toothed mountain mint

Most gardeners would be horrified to discover a mint growing in their gardens.  Many in that plant family have a reputation for “taking over” and being impossible to eradicate.  Such is not the case with our native Short-toothed Mountain Mint 'Pycnanthemum muticum.’  One of the very best pollinator plants out there, it is a compact beauty with broad lustrous leaves and silvery bracts.  Grow this civilized native in any average, well-drained soil with Bergamot, Purple Coneflower or native grasses, and you needn’t be concerned about it terrorizing the border.  Any spreading plantlets are easy to pull in the spring.

Photography by Carol Blake

Write up by Encie Moroski

Cup Plant

Saw Toothed Mountain Mint

Week of August 1st

Gaillardia. If you’re a fan of daisies, consider growing Gaillardia. Also called blanket flowers, the richly colored natives are easy to grow and repeat blooming, summer through fall. Happy in any well-draining soil, Gaillardia are short-lived perennials but reseed easily if not deadheaded. These undemanding beauties are extremely drought tolerant once established and actually flower better in poor rather than rich soils! Deer and browsing bunnies do not find them tasty.

Asclepias Incarnata. One of its common names, Swamp Milkweed, is simply an indicator of its soil preference, not a reference to the beauty of Asclepias Incarnata. This gorgeous native has everything going for it: lovely fragrance, large rose-colored flowers, a long blooming period in mid-summer, and a civilized growth habit (unlike common milkweed). A tall beauty, it doesn't actually require a swamp to live in and will be happy in the back of your border, even tolerating some drought once it's fully established. Monarchs love it and deer aren’t crazy about it. What more could you ask for?

Photography by Carol Blake

Write up by Encie Moroski

GaillardiaAsclepias Incarnata

Week of July 18th

Red Beebalm (Monarda didyma) is proof in midsummer that pollinator gardens can be spectacular. Its bright scarlet flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds as well as a great many pollinators. For those who prefer a paler palette, Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) might be a better choice. The lavender-colored petals of this close cousin are highly attractive to bees and butterflies, sometimes drawing in a hummingbird or two as well. Both monardas like soils with plenty of organic material that holds moisture during the hot days of summer. Additionally, the button seed heads of bergamot can be used in floral arrangements or left on the plant for winter interest in the garden.

Photography by Carol Blake

Write up by Encie Moroski

monardamonarda fistulosa

Week of July 11th:

Arguably the most popular native perennial for the home landscape, purple coneflower blooms profusely for up to two months in the summer, then sometimes repeats bloom in the fall. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, it attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. One of the easiest natives to grow, purple coneflower prefers full to partial sun and medium soil conditions. Another reason to include this beauty in your garden? Its seed heads attract goldfinches and other seed-loving birds.

Photography by Carol Blake

Write up by Encie Moroski

purple coneflower