what's blooming now 2014

[EllenW]

Beautiful pictures Gloria. I love the purple coneflowers.

[kchd]

Originally Posted by wildwatcher

Hey kchd, I've got Delicata squash blooming & making just fine! tytyty for the seed swap! Attachment 40733 ...I would show you my apple gourds also, but they are not blooming yet, I'm really proud of my apple gourd vines, because I was sure... the seed didn't make, early in the spring, but very good seed from you, is now making it's way to towering vines now!

ww

LOL, I'm just now getting caught up on this thread. You are most welcome, ww. I have found the delicata squash to be tremendous producers in my garden, too. Can't wait to see what you make out of your apple gourd vines. I remember seeing some photos of some beautiful finished products that Hava made with apple gourds in previous years.

[kchd]

Originally Posted by linrose

I'm glad you are seeing butterflies, we have a dearth of them right now they are too few and far between in the garden. I'm encouraged at least to see the small bees and bumblebees on the monarda.

I have had far few butterflies this year, too. I'm starting to really get concerned. My 3 Liatris species are in full bloom and I have very, very few butterflies visiting. Last year, I was covered up with so many species of butterflies when the Liatris was in full swing. Very disconcerting, indeed.

[kchd]

Originally Posted by wildwatcher

~~~here is shot of my apple gourd plants from seed I got from you this year... and they are blooming, but I missed the best shot of the blooms by 15 minutes this morning, oh well there is always tomorrow to see the flowers.
ww

ww, that apple gourd vine is a BEAST!

[Gloria]

Originally Posted by Arey

One of my two button bushes is blooming.I bought two of them at a native plant sale .They like moist soil and this has been a damp summer. Also they're right in front of a bird bath so they get doused everytime I fill the birdbath, along with the swamp milkweed to the right of the birdbath, and the sweet pepper bush and Joe Pye weed behind the bird bath. And, yes that was the 25th picture I snapped of the button bush. That's what I love about digital cameras, I can snap away and with a bit of luck, I'll actually have a photo to keep.

Buttonbush is really nice. I've been thinking of adding a couple to our garden where a space is being cleared of an old dying small tree.

[Gloria]

Originally Posted by linrose

That's a nice looking clump of rattlesnake master Gloria, mine is just one little stem that flops over. How long did it take to get that big? I need to move one into more sun, it's actually lying on the ground now looking very sad.

That clump is about 4 years old. Takes awhile for some prairie plants to establish. I started it from a winter sown seeding.The couple of plants I bought and collected seed from died after a few years. But this one seems strong.

[Gloria]

Originally Posted by EllenW

Beautiful pictures Gloria. I love the purple coneflowers.

Thanks Ellen.

[Gloria]

Originally Posted by wildwatcher

Oh good to know, I just transplanted a big one (black cohosh)yesterday, it came from the deep shade and it went into slightly less shade, but still well shaded...I just hope my dirt/moisture is OK for it to thrive. It's flowering spike had fallen over and broken...so what the heck ...bring it near the house. hahaha

I also transplanted some pawpaw trees/& ferns yesterday...fingers crossed on those, I killed the last batch 2 years ago. I chose smaller trees to transplant this time around.

ww

Good luck with those pawpaws. No room for them here but I have been trying to get my son to plant a couple.

[rockerBOO]

Originally Posted by wildwatcher

Oh good to know, I just transplanted a big one (black cohosh)yesterday, it came from the deep shade and it went into slightly less shade, but still well shaded...I just hope my dirt/moisture is OK for it to thrive. It's flowering spike had fallen over and broken...so what the heck ...bring it near the house. hahaha

I also transplanted some pawpaw trees/& ferns yesterday...fingers crossed on those, I killed the last batch 2 years ago. I chose smaller trees to transplant this time around.

ww

Black Cohosh grows in dry soils, maybe less intense though. Hardier than they look.

Pawpaws have very fibrous roots, like tuliptree. Keeping the soil together when moving seems to be the most dangerous part. When I was planting one from a container, the soil was falling apart and had to get it in the hole quickly before it fell apart.


Planted Spotted Bee Balm, which I started from seed, at my parents. Was mostly bare ground before. The ground is maybe 1/2" of soil and just sand under that.

[linrose]

I love the spotted bee balm, been wanting to plant that here for some time. It looks happy there.

It's rosepink time here which makes me very happy, such a beautiful bloom. It's an annual which seeds itself around the field haphazardly. I never know where it's going to pop up. It's supposed to like moist soils in part shade but wherever the seeds fall it germinates whatever the conditions. I tell myself to mark the locations so I can gather seed later on but I never do. I should though because I'd love to have some near the house in the gardens. I welcome self-seeders to surprise me every year. It feels like a gift.