Wildflower Wednesday: Invited Guests and the Party Crashers

It has been a long time since I have participated in Gail's Wildflower Wednesday.  It's been a busy summer with little time for blogging, but it also seems that most of the native plants I have don't start blooming until late summer.  I've learned so much about native plants over the years from Gail and the WW posts and added more of them to my garden as I've learned about their benefits to pollinators.  So I'm very happy to join in once again with some of the late bloomers from my garden.

If you've read my last few posts, you know that the current star of my garden is Rudbeckia triloba, also known as Brown-eyed Susan.  In fact, it's pretty hard to miss as it's taken over the front of the Lily Bed as well as parts of the Butterfly Garden.  A volunteer that mysteriously appeared in my garden a few years ago, it has made itself quite at home here.  But you can never have too many Susans, right?

Joe-Pye weed is still hanging on at the back of the butterfly garden.  As I've mentioned before, this is definitely the native species of Eutrochium purpureum because the stems are green, not purplish, and the flowerheads not as showy a pink as many of the other types.

'Little Joe,' however, has much prettier flowers and the dark purple stems that I love.  I'd like to plant more of the taller Joes with this coloring at the back of the butterfly garden, but first I have to contend with the semi-thugs that have taken up residence there . . .

 . . . the Obedient Plants.  I have a love-hate relationship with this plant:  I hate its aggressiveness and pull out numerous seedlings in the spring, but in the fall I love these white, pink, and purple blooms.

I noticed today that the pinkish blossoms actually have freckles and remind me of foxglove blooms.  Since I have never had much luck with foxgloves in my garden, perhaps I should change my attitude and think of these as the poor-man's foxglove.  The bees like them, no matter their name.

Although I have planted more natives over the past few years, the most prominent and prolific ones seem to be the ones I didn't plant.  Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis is one of those mystery plants that suddenly appear in my garden and I allow to let grow because I'm not sure if it's a weed or something I actually planted and forgot about.

At 6-7 feet tall, it's hard to ignore.  The flowers remain open from evening till morning, but might also stay open on a cloudy day.

Despite its classification as a "Prairie Wildflower" by the Illinois Wildflowers website, I'd classify it as a weedy wildflower.  It has a long taproot, which explains why my efforts to eradicate it have been unsuccessful.  Still, these pretty little yellow flowers are rather attractive, and they do attract moths and the occasional hummingbird and bees, so I guess they're not all bad.

Bees also like thistle as do various birds, including the goldfinches.  However, there are more than enough plants here for the bees and plenty of coneflowers for the finches, so this lone thistle--definitely a weed in my opinion--is going to have to go.

Another volunteer that appears every year is the Pokeweed.  It's another one of those with a long taproot, which is why my simply cutting it off after it blooms never quite gets rid of it.

Because it has been well-mannered so far, I usually leave it alone for awhile so the birds can enjoy the berries.  The berries, as you can see, aren't ripe yet, but when they are, they'll be a deep dark purple.  They are toxic to humans, though, and can stain your hands, so I will definitely let the birds pick them!

Goldenrod is also just beginning to bloom. I'm not sure what type this is, because all the plants are volunteers.  And talk about volunteers--it would take over my garden if I let it!   I pull some of the excess seedlings every year, but I leave the rest because, besides its value to insects, it really does make a pretty backdrop for other flowers, like these seedheads of the gray-headed coneflowers.  It also makes a nice filler for flower arrangements.

As you can see, many of the natives in my garden are actually volunteers, probably gifts from the birds.  Too often it seems the natives I actually plant in my garden don't germinate or disappear, probably overcome by the thugs already there.  But sometimes I am pleasantly surprised, as I was by the plant I wanted to focus on this month.

A few weeks ago I noticed a few tall plants amidst the emerging goldenrod and asters.  I was pretty sure they were weeds until I noticed small flowerbuds on them.  I was intrigued and decided to leave them alone.  Thank goodness I did!  When they bloomed, I was finally able to identify them as Common Sneezeweed, Helenium Autumnale.

A few facts about this Sneezeweed:

• Zone 3-8, blooms August --October
• 3-5 feet tall with not much branching but an abundance of flowers
• likes wet to moist conditions--we had the perfect spring/early summer for it this year
• the foliage is bitter and toxic, with some reports of livestock poisoning from it
• despite the name, it does not cause sneezing.  In the past, the leaves and flowers were dried and used as snuff, hence the name

Common visitors to the Sneezeweed include all kinds of bees, some wasps, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and beetles.  Most suck the nectar, but some also collect the pollen.

So how did these pretty bee-magnets find their way into my garden?? I doubted they were volunteers, so I searched through my garden journals, and sure enough, I discovered that I had purchased a seedling at our local Prairie Plant Society sale two years ago.  Because I had seen no sign of it the past two years, I had forgotten all about it--thank goodness I didn't pull it out!  Sometimes there are benefits to being forgetful--it makes for some happy surprises every year in the garden:)  Aside from that, seeing the Sneezeweed in full bloom gives me hope that some of the other natives I've planted in the past two years and haven't seen a sign of may just be biding their time and will surprise me next year.

I am enjoying all these late additions to the garden, whether they were invited or not.  For more information on wildflowers and natives, be sure to visit our gracious hostess Gail at Clay and Limestone.

Ready for a Road Trip?

The sun is shining and the temperatures are slowly climbing . . . but there's a possibility of snow later this week, arrgh!  I am so ready to get outside!  Yes, I do mean in the garden, but as wet as the soil is, that probably won't be for awhile.  I'm also ready to get outside and go somewhere after being cooped up much of the winter.  Good friend Beckie and I are headed next week to the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, which is always a highlight of March and a great way to get motivated for the coming gardening season.  I hope this will be just the first of several short road trips we can take this season.

If you're like me and enjoy road trips to see beautiful gardens, a great place to visit in the Central Midwest is Rockford, Illinois.   I wrote about the fabulous Anderson Japanese Garden in January, but that is not the only place in this city just an hour west of Chicago that is worth the drive.  The Klehm Arboretum and the Nicholas Conservatory are just two of the larger attractions in Rockford.

The Klehm Arboretum has 155 acres of natives and plants from around the world.  Originally a nursery, the land was donated to the city by the Klehm family in 1985 with the stipulation it be maintained as a public botanic garden.

A wide variety of trees, many of them planted by the original nursery owner in the early 1900's, line the walkways.  Friendly dogs on a leash are even welcome here; if I lived much closer, I know Sophie would love visiting the Arboretum with me.

One of several unusual creatures in the garden, a painted cow is sure to delight visitors to the Children's Garden.

If you took every trail that wanders off the main pathways, you could walk for hours and still not see everything.  This archway just looked too inviting to pass by.

This delightful secret garden was worth the detour.

The pollinator garden wasn't hidden at all, but along a major walkway 

so visitors would be sure not to miss it.

Filled with native plants, it was a haven for bees and butterflies on this August afternoon.  The more I looked at it, I realized this is my vision of what I wish my garden looked like.

Tall Rudbeckias (?) in another planting.

The Arboretum's main focus is on trees, and there are many examples of native and unusual trees to be found here including this conifer and the black locusts below.

The only drawback to the Arboretum is that there is no snack bar: Beckie and I made the mistake of not stopping for lunch before coming here, and after awhile, my energy was sagging or we might have stayed longer.  Next time I visit, I'll be sure to eat first--I could walk off a lot of calories on these trails!

Another place not to miss is the Nicholas Conservatory located along the Rock River.  Unfortunately, the Conservatory itself, which houses 11,000 square feet of a tropical setting, was closed for renovations on the day we visited.

But seeing the beautiful grounds outside the Conservatory, we decided to stop anyway, and we weren't alone.  It's obvious this is a popular place, not only for garden enthusiasts, but also for walkers and joggers who enjoyed the pathways through the grounds and along the river.

Border plantings include many native plants such as the Lobelia cardinalis above and the Joe Pye Weed in the previous photo.

A planting of Clethra in another area showed me what the puny little specimen in my garden is supposed to look like.

For rose aficionados, the Sinnissippi Rose Garden at the far end of the Conservatory grounds showcases a large number of rose cultivars.

If I were to ever attempt growing something other than easy-care roses, this would be my choice--'Glowing Peace.'  Isn't she beautiful?

I wasn't the only one taking photos on this pleasant morning.  I try to be considerate of others trying to frame the perfect shot, but I realized after standing behind this gentleman for a minute, that it wasn't necessary to be so patient:)  (Seriously, I did stand several feet behind him for awhile, until I realized my mistake.)

Garden sculptures, beautiful plantings, and lovely water features including the lagoon with fountains make this an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.  Note the bike path in the background.

There are other smaller gardens and attractions in Rockford, but some of them weren't open at the time we visited.  Our time was limited anyway, and the three places we visited--the Anderson Japanese Garden, the Klehm Arboretum, and the Nicholas Conservatory--were well worth the three-hour drive.  Looking forward to more fun road trips this summer!

Wildflower Wednesday: No Ordinary Joe

Fall is just around the corner, but you would never know it this week--it's been hot, hot, hot!  Temperatures have soared into the 90's with a heat index of 104 forecast for today.  I hope this is summer's last hurrah; cooler temps and some rain--please!--would be so welcome.

The garden, though, is beginning to shift into fall mode regardless of the heat.  Obedient Plant has burst into bloom in the butterfly garden just in time for Wildflower Wednesday.  I've cautioned every time I've shown a photo of Obedient Plant, Phystostegia virginiana, that it is an aggressive spreader and may not be suitable for everyone's garden.  This spring I was determined not to let it take over this area, so I ruthlessly pulled out seedling after seedling, leaving only a few.  Unfortunately, no pink bloomers returned, only white ones--darn, I wish they'd come with color tags!

It looks like I'm also going to have a bumper crop of goldenrod this fall.  No fancy-schmansy hybrids here, just the ordinary goldenrod that grows wild anywhere it can.  Many would call it a weed, but I like its bright appearance, and the bees and other critters like it even without a pedigree.  Besides, it makes a nice contrast to all the asters that will be blooming in this area soon.

But what I really wanted to feature for this month's WW post is a plant that everyone seems to have been bragging about this year--Joe Pye Weed, once in the Eupatorium genus, now Eutrochium purpureum. But let's just forget about those fancy Latin names that taxonomists seem to want to change every few years--I prefer to call him by his common name "Joe."

Photo (and previous one) taken at Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens in Rockford, Illinois.

Joe Pye Weed is a native to much of the Eastern and Northern US; growing to 5-7 feet tall, it's a perfect accent at the back of a border.  Its fluffy pinkish-purple blooms won't shade out shorter plants in front.  It blooms in mid-summer to early fall.

My Joes are planted in full sun, but they also do well in part shade.  One thing Joe likes, though, is moist soil, which is probably the reason mine is doing so much better this year than in the past.  I don't give the butterfly garden much additional water, so the plentiful rain--until this month!--has made him very happy.

Until this year I had only one Joe-Pye Weed, and I was always rather disappointed in its appearance.  The blooms were a lighter pink than others I saw, and the stems were green, not the purple I associated with most Joes.  However, I have since learned that there are several types of this plant, and mine might be a Hollow-stemmed Joe Pye.

This spring I added another Joe Pye, purchased from the annual sale of our local Prairie Plant Society, as well as a 'Little Joe,' purchased from a local gardener and fellow native enthusiast.  I was happy to see that these Joes have the purple stems and darker blooms I was hoping for.  The new Joe is much shorter than my original, and 'Little Joe's' blooms were rather small this year, but I'm sure they will both grow with time.

Joe attracts a multitude of bees and butterflies.  Alas, our shortage of butterflies this years means I have no photos to prove the latter, but I can certainly prove the bee attraction.  This stand at the Nicholas Conservatory in Rockford, which I recently visited, was just swarming with bumblebees.

The origin of this plant's name is rather a mystery.  According to some sources, it was named after an early doctor or herbalist, possibly a Native American, possibly a colonist, who cured fevers with a concoction made from this plant. Whether that is fact or fiction, one thing is true about Joe Pye Weed--it is certainly not a weed!

Wildflower Wednesday is hosted the fourth Wednesday of every month by native enthusiast and protector of the bees, Gail at Clay and Limestone.  Why not join us?  You're sure to learn something new!

A Tour of the Idea Garden for Wildflower Wednesday

It's always fun to see a familiar garden through another's eyes, and I had that opportunity this past Saturday.  Blogging friend Lisa and her sister Tena came up for a weekend visit with their cousin--and my best friend--Beckie, and as we often do with out-of-town guests, we had to make a visit to the Idea Garden.

Lisa couldn't wait to take pictures!

I've often mentioned the Idea Garden in this blog, but in case you don't know what I'm referring to, a little background is in order.  The Idea Garden was established in 1997 by a few Master Gardeners as an educational tool "to promote environmentally responsible gardening practices, to demonstrate ideas of garden planning and maintenance," and in general be a resource for the entire community. It is maintained entirely by volunteers--the county Master Gardeners group--and is funded through donations and the main MG fundraiser, the annual garden walk.

The Idea Garden is located on the far south end of the University of Illinois campus with plenty of nearby available parking (a rarity on campus!).  It is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  I've been surprised since I first started working here just how many people come through the garden every day.  Some are just strolling through on their daily walk or on their way to another destination and stop to admire the plantings, while others come prepared with cameras in hand.  Professional photographers have used the landscape as a setting for wedding photos or children's photos.  Once, we even had a gentleman reserve it for an evening to "pop the question" to his bride-to-be!

As an educational garden, the IG is a great place for non-gardeners and gardeners alike to see a wide variety of plants that are suitable for our Zone 5b (now zone 6) area.  Even veteran gardeners are bound to find something new and unusual, such as this ornamental millet.

I.D. stakes are located by nearly every plant, so that visitors can easily take notes if they spy something unusual or a cultivar that they would like to add to their own gardens.

Oftentimes, as the garden fills in over the summer, these stakes become hidden, but if you're lucky to be there when volunteers are working, you will find someone more than willing to answer questions for you.  We were fortunate that co-chair Tracy happened to be in the South Border when we spied this unusual plant, a Cardoon. Also known as Artichoke Thistle, the Cardoon has very dramatic foliage as well as these interesting flowers.  It's hardy only to zone 7, but Tracy told us that this one--one of three original plants--actually overwintered this year. That is one of the purposes, too, of the garden--trying new plants and "pushing the envelope" sometimes to see what can survive our tough winters in order to pass along this information to local gardeners.

Usually, when I come to work in the garden, I stay in my area, the Sensory Garden, and don't get a chance to stroll through the rest of the garden. I don't make it every week, however, and so I often find something new in bloom even in my little corner of the garden.  These lilies--wouldn't you know I forgot to check the tag to see what they were--weren't even in bloom the week before.

The Idea Garden is also a showcase for trial plants that may not yet be on the market.  Seed plugs provided by Proven Winners and Ball are grown in the Parkland College greenhouses, again by local MG's. The plants' progress is closely monitored throughout the season by one of our most diligent and knowledgeable MG's, and in the fall, she publishes a list of top performers that is available on the Extension website.  I'm thinking this beautiful petunia--Flash Mob 'Bluerific'--is definitely going to be on the list! 

I'm trying to fathom how this garden began with just three energetic gardeners in charge.  Of course, the Garden has grown since then to over 15,000 square feet, and it is now divided into 12+ sections, with a co-chair or two and a team working in each section.  The Tropical Section in the back and the Theme Garden in the foreground take up the northeast quadrant of the Garden.

One of my favorite sections is the East Border.  If I wasn't so loyal to the Sensory Garden where I started as an intern, I would definitely volunteer here.  I was never a big fan of oranges and reds in the garden before, but these hot, hot colors have changed my mind.  This area is a blaze of color all season long.

Though perennials and shrubs form the backbone of the Idea Garden, the Garden is always changing.  Nowhere is this more evident this year than in the Children's garden, where a new seating area has taken center stage, drawing attention from every visitor, not just children.

Built by students in a construction class at our local community college, the pergola/bench features a living roof planted with different varieties of sweet potato vine.  The slogan on the front expresses the purpose of this area, because it truly is a place where children can play and learn about nature.

A small vegetable garden, a hoop tunnel to crawl through, lots of fun sunflowers, and of course, plants that attract butterflies are all part of this inviting area.

Notice the sandbox to the left of the Joe Pye weed.  One morning when I and another volunteer came to work, we found sand covering the walkway in our nearby area and little trucks scattered about the Sensory Garden.  Some little visitor obviously had a good time the day before:)

It would be impossible to show you every part of the Idea Garden in one post, and on this muggy Saturday morning, my mind was thinking ahead to Wildflower Wednesday this week.  Native plants play a large role in the garden and are probably one reason it is usually full of bees and butterflies.  Along with the Joe Pye weed here, coneflowers, liatris, butterfly weed, and milkweed in the previous photo are all butterfly magnets.

In the East Border tall Rudbeckia laciniata and a type of Helianthus (I think--the tags were hidden from view) provide a dramatic backdrop for the colorful display below, reaching 10 to 12 feet skyward.

Several specimens of Hypericum, or St. John's Wort, are located in different sections of the garden. Gail has featured this plant several times in her wildflower posts, and I've always admired its blooms, but the foliage is also attractive in its own right.

I also didn't realize it also featured these little berries.  I'm not sure if either of these plants are natives or cultivars, but they still are attractive to the bees . . . and unfortunately, if you look closely enough, to Japanese beetles as well.

And finally, one last image--Agastache 'Golden Jubilee,' a cultivar of the native Agastache foeniculum. The Idea Garden has a mixture of all kinds of plants from natives to exotics, but it is definitely a bee-friendly place.  If you are ever in the Champaign-Urbana area, be sure to stop by for a visit.

There are some natives blooming in my own garden, but we will save them for another day.  In the meantime, why not stop by Gail's for a look at wildflowers and natives growing in gardens across the country on this Wildflower Wednesday.