Wildflower Wednesday: The Wild Ones

We have been blessed with warm temperatures this past week--days in the 70's, just perfect for planting bulbs and some final garden clean-up.  That is, when it hasn't been raining!  Instead of Murphy's Law, I've come up with a new one, "Rose's Law":  If you have a whole day off to work in the garden, it's going to rain:)  Ah well, after the past summer's drought, I guess I shouldn't be complaining and instead be thankful that we are finally getting some much-needed moisture to end the drought.  Before I go out to sneak in a few more bulbs before heading off to a dentist's appointment, let's take a moment to celebrate Wildflower Wednesday by looking at a few wilder varieties of natives/wildflowers growing in and around my garden this fall.

A few blooms remain on the Aster pilosus, commonly known as Hairy Aster or Frost Aster.  I prefer the latter name, especially since this aster is the very last to bloom and is undeterred by frost.  This is a plant that appears of its own free will all over the farm; in fact, most people would probably consider it a weed rather than a wildflower.  But it certainly has its redeeming qualities.

My husband has been laid up for most of the summer with back and knee problems and hasn't been able to keep up with the trimming around the farm buildings, but I'm glad he didn't get a chance to cut these Frost
Asters down in front of the old shed.  I wish I had taken this photo a few weeks earlier when they first bloomed, but you'll have to take my word for it that in their prime they provided billows of white blooms that looked as good as anything I might have purposely planted here.

But the most important characteristic of the Frost Aster is that the bees love it!  Blooming at the end of the season, it provides a last valuable source of food for bees before winter sets in.  This plant is not for everyone, but if you would like to learn more about it, you can check out my earlier post here.

 Another plant that seems to have appeared on its own is this small tree behind the butterfly garden. It took me a long time to identify it, but after seeing numerous specimens growing in the wild at our local forest preserve and then doing a little research, I finally found that it is a Rough-leaved Dogwood, Cornus drummondii.  Like other tamer dogwoods, it is covered in white blooms in the spring, but I also like its burgundy foliage in the fall.

Although it is no longer blooming, I did want to include this plant from earlier this fall that also appears voluntarily all around the outbuildings.  It's a type of Persicaria, probably Persicaria cespitosa though I'm not positive.  I remember the first time I saw Persicaria mentioned on someone's blog and being aghast!  Back in the days when farmers "walked beans"--pulling out weeds by hand in soybean fields--rather than spraying them with herbicides, I learned very quickly to identify this plant better known to us as smartweed.
As a teenager living on a farm, walking beans provided one of the few sources of a little spending money for me, and, of course, my dad believed in teaching us about the value of hard work. After hours of pulling or cutting out these plants that quickly spread to make a tangled mess, choking out the valuable soybean plants, I soon learned to hate smartweed.

Lest I offend anyone, I have since seen some lovely examples of  Persicaria cultivars growing in private gardens and in botanic gardens--and I agree they are worth planting in a garden.  But this is one type of Persicaria you definitely don't want in your garden, or it will quickly take over.  I was pleased with this photo and thought it looked rather pretty and innocent here . . . but it met an untimely end soon after the photo shoot:)

While I was trying to find the proper botanical name for the smartweed, I was surprised to see one of my favorite plants listed in the Illinois Wildflowers website as a "weedy wildflower."  Belamcanda chinensis or Blackberry Lily certainly doesn't belong in the same category as smartweed!  A native of East Asia, this plant can occasionally be found growing in the wild throughout the state.  However, I've tried for years to get these lilies established here with no luck--until this year.  Thanks to some seeds from Frances, I was thrilled to have not one, but two blooming lilies this year.

As much as I like its unique blooms, it is in the fall that I most enjoy Blackberry Lily.  One look at these berries, actually seeds, and you can see how it gets its name.  Since the plant spread by either rhizomes or seeds, I might be lucky enough to have several more of those pretty little lilies in the future.  While the other plants listed here probably aren't appropriate for most gardens, Blackberry Lily is a great addition anywhere for both summer and fall interest.

To learn more about other wildflowers and natives, visit our hostess Gail and her the bee-utiful garden at Clay and Limestone.

October GBBD: After the Freeze

What a difference a week can make! In my last post I was in a state of denial that summer would soon end, but within twenty-four hours, I had a rude awakening.

I awoke Monday morning to find not only the ground covered in frost, but much of the garden frozen in place.  The zinnias and cosmos blooming away in that last post had turned to a black mush.  A few green peppers that I had forgotten to pick in the vegetable garden soon became pepper soup.

Between the freeze and the rainy, blustery weekend that made taking pictures nearly impossible,  there's not much new to show for this October Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  A few new Dianthus blooms have appeared in the pot where they have resided--along with the same potting soil!--undisturbed for several years.  It's taken me awhile, but I've finally learned that deadheading them regularly will keep them reblooming all summer.

There are a few annuals that survived the freeze, such as the geraniums, some petunias, and even the verbena, but the showier containers have new annuals in them.

Ruffled kale is one of my favorites for fall containers.  Depending on how low the temperatures get once winter arrives, this plant can last a long time.

Pansies, of course, are always a staple in my fall containers.  My earlier state of denial about the approaching cold weather was not a good thing in this case, because by the time I was in the mood to buy pansies, there wasn't much of a selection left.  I did find something new this year, though--a 'Cool Wave' pansy that is supposed to cascade down the sides of a pot, much like a 'Wave' petunia.  We'll see if it lives up to its hype.

And every fall, I must have mums.  Some gardeners may dismiss these ubiquitous fall plants, but I can't seem to resist them, even though they usually end up on the compost pile at the end of the season.  This particular mum, though, is a special one--not only did it overwinter outside, which doesn't happen often for me, but it survived the winter confined in a pot! 

The freeze wasn't enough to affect many of the perennials.  Knockout roses, 'Becky' daisies, and even some Rudbeckia have been invigorated by the cooler weather.  'October Skies' asters continue to bloom their hearts out.  The only truly new bloom this month was a mystery plant that I had suspected was a weed.  Sure enough, it is some type of goldenrod that found its way into the lily bed.  It looks rather pretty here where little else is blooming, but it will definitely be pulled before it has a chance to set seeds.  Sorry, goldenrod, but you belong in the butterfly garden, not here.

 

October is all about fall color, and that can certainly be seen in the shade garden, where gold is the new fashionable color.

"Dying gracefully" seems an apt way to describe this area as it puts out one last burst of color before going into winter hibernation.

There is much yet to be done in the garden, and there is still time to enjoy its beauty.  But the days are definitely getting shorter, and there is no denying now that the end of gardening season is drawing near.


What is blooming in your garden today?  Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted the 15th of each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. 

I'm In Denial

The change has begun.  In just the past week, the trees have begun to put on their autumn colors. Mornings are chilly, and the ground has been covered with a white frost the past two days.  For the first time in months, I awoke to a house too cool for comfort and turned on the furnace.

Even though the signs are all around me, I have been in a state of denial.  September was a beautiful month, but I spent most of it substitute teaching more than usual and working on projects in my house, instead of in the garden.  I enjoyed just looking at the garden and walking around it, making notes of things I want to change this fall. 

I'd like to expand several of the garden areas and had planned to do a little digging each day to remove more of the lawn.  But other than planting a few new plants given to me by a friend, the spade has sat idle. The first bulb order arrived over a week ago--with more to come--and yesterday I bought over a hundred more bulbs after attending a talk on bulbs at a local garden center.  I need to start planting these, or I will be out in the cold winds of November trying to put bulbs in the ground with frozen fingers.

Yes, the signs are all around me, but I have chosen to ignore them, living in a fantasy world of  'Endless Summer.' At the very least, I have been thinking that fall would go on forever, and I had all the time in the world to work in the garden.

  Speaking of signs, does anyone know what these colorful leaves are?  Tangled in old tomato cages that should have been thrown away long ago, they're an indication of many uncompleted projects from the summer. I'll leave an answer in a comment.

The Beautyberry looks striking this time of year with its arching branches covered in purple berries, but it is nearly hidden by tall zinnias on either side and nicotania (still!) blooming behind it.

But this is one of the main reasons for my state of denial--

how can I pull out annuals when they still look so good??

A zinnia bud promises more blooms to come, if only the cold weather would hold off.

The 'Illumination' begonia, which hasn't done much all summer, finally shows signs of a glorious display if only there were time enough.

Invigorated by the mild temperatures and frequent rains of September, 'Vanilla Strawberry' Hydrangea paniculata has put out a few new blooms.

To my surprise, even a few coneflowers are also ignoring the warning signs of fall. 

Cosmos are still putting out their cheery blooms and reaching for the October skies.

As if to remind me that it is October, after all, and time for me to get busy, the asters 'October Skies' are covered in blooms.

This mass of blooms over six feet long started from three tiny plants last spring!

It is hard to think of winter coming all too soon when the garden is still a hive of activity.  Bees and more butterflies than I've seen all season are busy visiting the garden, finding enough warmth in the afternoon sun.  But I know they are aware of the changing seasons and probably fueling up for the winter ahead or migration to warmer climes.  The hummingbirds have been absent for the past week, and I can only imagine that they have already found their winter homes in Central America.

Other residents in the garden are preparing for winter in their own way.  Note the bulging abdomen of this little lady; no doubt there will soon be egg sacs of little mantids hidden below the sedum and waiting for spring.  I think she's trying to tell me something, don't you?  She's probably thinking it's time I wake up and realize that fall is fleeting.  I may be in denial, but a hard freeze predicted for tonight may change my mind.  That should provide the reality shock that's it's time I get busy!

Wildflower Wednesday: The Not-So-Obedient Plant

Fall has definitely arrived in my part of Illinois with cooler nights and frequent rainy days.  Monday morning I awoke to find the whole yard had turned white--the first frost of the season.  Fortunately, nothing in the garden seems to have been affected by the frost.  Thanks to all the rain the last several weeks, annuals and perennials are looking better in September than they did in July.  The butterfly garden especially has come alive, due to the fall-blooming natives that have almost taken over this area.

One of those natives is Physostegia virginiana, commonly called Obedient Plant.  A member of the mint family, Obedient Plant grows up to four feet tall with flowers that are purplish, pink, or white.  This is the first year that all the blooms I have are white, rather than pink, which may mean that they are reverting back to their wild state, since those plants tend to have mostly white blooms.  It is pollinated primarily by bumblebees, though other long-tongued bees and hummingbirds may also visit it.

Blooms first open up at the bottom, then proceed upward.

 Sometimes called False Dragonhead as well, the plant was given the name "Obedient" because the individual flowers stay in place if you move them.  I'm not sure why anyone would want to have blooms facing a certain way, but hey, if that's important to you, then who am I to judge:)

Doing some research, I discovered that yes, it's true--these little blooms are quite cooperative to being manipulated.

Not everyone loves this plant--in fact, some would go so far as to call it a thug or even invasive.  Most references are a little kinder, but do warn that especially in moist soils it can "sometimes spread aggressively."  My butterfly garden was anything but "moist" this summer, yet the Obedient Plants did just fine; in fact, I think they're determined to take over this area, if given the chance.  As I looked at all the seedlings that came up this spring, a question came to my mind.

 Why do we plant something when we know it could spread so rampantly?  After some careful thought, I've come up with a few answers, but feel free to add more in a comment.

1. Ignorance. Most people know that you should never plant certain species like purple loosestrife or some types of honeysuckle, plants that top most states' invasive plant lists.  But plant tags on other species at garden centers or plant sales don't always tell you that something could take over your garden.  When I first started my butterfly garden several years ago, I was just learning about native plants and was excited when I found out the local Prairie Plant Society was holding a plant sale in May.  My friend Beckie and I went to the plant sale, where I picked up several natives that I knew were attractive to butterflies, including a Joe Pye Weed and an aster.  Then I noticed the Obedient Plant and snatched it up as well--I remembered reading about it on someone's blog the previous fall, but I didn't remember any of its characteristics, unfortunately.

Asters are good companions for Obedient Plant--they all started from one little plant here as well.

I've often told the story of that first little Obedient Plant--how it grew to two feet tall that summer, until one day Sophie, still a rambunctious puppy then, bounded through the garden and broke off the stem.  I was upset, thinking that was the end of it.  But to my surprise, the following year it came back--and had multiplied more prolifically than a rabbit!  Fast forward to this spring, when I noticed Obedient seedlings covering at least a third of this small garden area. If I hadn't pulled out at least half the seedlings, they would have choked out some of the Susans and other plants that aren't quite so aggressive.  I have learned my lesson--before I buy an unfamiliar plant, I do a little research first.  "Aggressive spreader" or "spreads by rhizomes" are red flags that I probably don't want to add this plant to my already crowded garden, no matter how pretty it may be.

In a friend's garden, a border of gravel keeps Obedient Plant from spreading to the neighbors.

2. You can contain it some way., whether in a pot or an enclosed area. I've learned that bamboo is a notorious spreader and difficult to eradicate once it's established.  Yet I know gardeners who grow it and other invasives in large pots or in an area enclosed in some way, whether by rocks or other types of edging.  As long as the plant doesn't have seeds that could be spread by wind or birds, this method may work for a plant you simply must have, no matter its aggressive tendencies.

3.  You have lots of space and could use something that multiplies quickly. Many of us have an area where nothing seems to grow, including grass.  For me, it's an area next to my shade garden in front of a very large spruce tree.  The soil is hard clay, and thirsty tree roots drink up most of the rainfall, yet garlic mustard and a few other weeds still seem to thrive. I've transplanted a few errant lamium--another "spreader," but much better-mannered than some--in part of this area, as well as liriope and some ajuga.  The lirope hasn't done much, and the ajuga, along with some free toad lilies I received, seems to have disappeared in this summer's drought. I wouldn't mind something that spreads rather quickly to cover the bare soil and choke out the weeds in this area.

The bees enjoy all the native "spreaders" in the butterfly garden--this area has been a buzz of activity all fall.

 
4. Just because it's considered invasive in some areas doesn't mean it will be in your garden. Another blogger recently commented that lantana had now been labelled somewhat invasive in her state.   In my zone 5b garden, that's certainly not a problem because lantana is not hardy here; in fact, I buy a flat of it every spring.  My friend Beckie tried for years to control the false sunflowers, Heliopsis helianthoides, that were overtaking her garden.  When I asked for a few starts, she gladly gave them to me but with a warning that I might be sorry.  Naturally, they all died for me.  I tried a second time, and this time they survived.There are still a few of these in the butterfly garden, but with all the other thugs around--like Obedient Plant--they haven't had a chance to spread.  So an invasive plant in one place might not be so aggressive in another . . . of course, it's up to you whether you want to take that chance!

The white blooms often have pink or purple dots and whorls on the inside--fairy footprints perhaps??

Sometimes even the most experienced gardeners make mistakes and plant something they later regret.  But let's face it, there are some "spreaders" that are so appealing in some way that we are willing to take a chance and grow them anyway.  Sweet Autumn clematis is a good example. It is listed on the Illinois list of invasive species, yet I see it growing in so many local gardens, with good reason--its blooms are beautiful this time of year.

As for my Obedient plant, I'll continue to pull out excess seedlings in the spring because I think these pretty late-bloomers are worth it.  But if you decide to add some to your own garden, just remember that I warned you these natives are anything but obedient!


Wildflower Wednesday is celebrated the fourth Wednesday of every month and hosted by Gail at Clay and Limestone. You are welcome to join us in celebrating all things native!

September Bloom Day

It's September Bloom Day, and what a glorious day it is!  The sun is shining, the temperature is perfect for spending time outdoors, and my garden is looking good.  That's not bragging--that's being thankful.  After a miserably hot summer and weeks without rain,  I didn't think I would have much left in the garden this month.  But after several much-needed rains, the garden has revived and looking better than it has in awhile.

You know it's almost fall by looking at the butterfly garden where the asters are in full bloom.

Taking good photographs in bright sunlight is hard enough, but a little breeze can make it even more difficult.  I call this "the windswept look."

Another sign of fall--the beautyberry's berries are turning purple!

Miscanthus 'Morning Light' is waving its plumes proudly.

After a month of regular rainfall, the Profusion Zinnias are finally filling in the front edging of the Arbor Bed.

Behind them, the 'October Skies' asters are sporting a few blooms here and there.  In a few weeks they will be a mass of light blue blooms.  In fact, the way these second-year plants have spread this year, there won't be any room for zinnias in front of them next year.

Speaking of no room, the cosmos have decided to compete for domination around the Arbor Bed bench with the hyacinth bean vine and the cardinal flower.

 

Many of these cosmos, 'Dancing Petticoats' grown from seed from Renee's Garden, have exceeded expectations, growing to six feet or taller.

On the other side of the arbor bench trellis, the climbing rose 'Don Juan' has also thrived, blooming once again during these cooler days.

Also re-blooming after I thought it had succumbed to the drought are the sky-blue blooms of a plant given to me by best friend Beckie.  I had seen this plant during a garden walk this summer, but no one could remember what it was,  though the flowers resembled a phlox.  The plant label said simply 'Blue Phlox,' but later another friend said it was Plumbago.  I know it's hard to tell from this photo, but it certainly does look like the Plumbago I've seen in photos on various websites.  Either way, it is not hardy here; we'll see if I remember to dig it up before the first frost and whether it can over-winter indoors.

Lavender is still going strong; I hope this one plant will multiply next year.

Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' is also enjoying the fall weather and putting out a fresh flush of blooms.

Patience does pay off--the 'Homestead Verbena' is finally blooming. I've found verbena needs lots of water and doesn't particularly like the heat.  'Homestead' will bloom until frost, but it's not hardy here in zone 5b. However, if we have a winter as mild as last year, it might make it.

I've written very little about my vegetable garden this year, with good reason.  The green beans, onions, and beets did quite well, but my tomatoes are cracking and splitting and the squash bugs have gotten to the yellow squash.  The marigolds and zinnias are the only bright notes in this garden right now.

That is, besides the kale.  I don't remember the variety, because I planted this two years ago, and it's come back every year since.  At four feet tall, it helps to hide the weedy area behind it:)

By this time of year, many of my containers are usually looking pretty sad, and that's especially true this year, particularly with the lack of care I gave them.  One new annual I planted, though, is still looking perky.  I picked up this ornamental pepper when I couldn't find the Persian Shield I usually use as an accent plant. Like the Persian Shield, it starts drooping when it needs water, an easy reminder to me to get the hose out.  This plant will definitely be on my spring shopping list again next year.

In the shade garden, the 'Endless Summer' hydrangeas are full of summer blooms fading to a rosy pink.  I noticed this new bloom emerging this week, however.  The hydrangeas are definitely appreciating the more frequent rainfall.

The star of the September garden, though, has to be the Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight.'  This is the easiest hydrangea I've ever grown, and it has quickly become one of my all-time favorite plants.

Although I've tried to limit photos today to plants that are new bloomers or those that have re-bloomed after taking off some time this summer, I can't resist one more photo of my new Caryopteris 'Summer Sorbet.'  A great plant for late season color!

The zinnias have also been shown before; in fact, looking back through my photo files, I realized that they have been blooming for over two months.  I think that deserves some kind of plant award!

But the real purpose in including them here is to show off some other "bloomers" in my garden.  For the past several weeks, the garden has been swarming with all kinds of butterflies.

I've been thrilled to see so many different varieties this year, including this Pearl Crescent on the white salvia.

Nearby, a Buckeye also enjoys the salvia.

All kinds of flying critters are finding Sedum 'Autumn Joy' irresistible as it turns to its rosy hues of autumn, including this Painted Lady. I was especially excited to see several Painted Ladies lately, as they haven't been seen in my garden in several years.

With so much going on in the garden right now, I think September may be my new favorite month!

What is blooming in your garden today?  You can join in the celebration of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day by visiting Carol-who-gardens-with-the fairies at May Dreams Gardens.