Our Newest Additions

Yesterday, I stopped at a native plant nursery looking to add more biodiversity to the summer-blooming natives I've already added.  Here is what I got:

queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra)

ox-eye sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)

Phlox paniculata -which had a visitor before I even put it in the
ground...this tiny bee actually followed it as I moved the pot, to
set up the group shot above!

Looking More Closely

It is rare for me to pick flowers from the natives I'm adding to the property.  So far, I really have so few, and I feel the nectar, pollen, and eventual seeds that they are providing for wildlife is vitally important.  I hate to take away from the little I've provided.  However, the oldest butterflyweeds I have planted are blooming profusely...so I took three small sprigs.  With them, I took a few non-natives that are blooming (I'm trying to rid the property of these anyway), and then I grabbed a few of the daisy fleabane...that is when, as I reached for a second stem, I saw an already large caterpillar chomping away at one of the flowers.  Of course, I let go and went to get the camera.

I have to wonder what else I'd see if I learned to look more closely more often.

I've yet to identify it, but here is what he looks like:

Chomping away!  Just look at those petals fall.
What a messy eater.

I went back for more photos.

...and today, I noticed there were at least two of them!

Oh, and here is the bouquet I came up with:

*Early* Snowfall

I'm used to seeing snow flurries or even the rare dusting of snow around Halloween, but this is ridiculous--around 6 inches of snow. With leaves still on many trees, there is a good chance of limbs weighed down with snow breaking under the pressure. I went out twice yesterday to shake the snow from our dogwood trees. Each time they sprang back to their normal positions.

Early yesterday morning, when the snow had just started, I ran out to get some pictures of the daisy fleabane (still going strong) with a covering of snow.

I'm not a big fan of winter, and am not looking forward to an early start--but I have to admit the trees are beautiful in the natural areas. I am more motivated than ever to grow more trees and shrubs on our property; I want that natural beauty in our own yard.

Daisy Fleabane

Erigeron--daisy fleabane, has become one of my favorites over the years. It is an annual and one of the earliest field flowers that I have. Although I think of them as early spring and summer flowers, this one robust patch is still blooming and looking as fresh as ever.

Fall Day Diversity

With highs in the low 50s today, I was surprised to see such a variety of insects out on the asters and goldenrod. Although some of the bumblebees I encountered seemed sluggish, others were quite actively buzzing from flower to flower. There was a lone butterfly among the numerous of other insects.

Clematis virginiana & a White Admiral

Golden Alexander

Zizia aurea

--> Correction: I had misidentified the above as golden Alexander...it is actually the invasive, skin-irritating wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). For more information about the grotesque blisters it can cause, read here: http://www.wildlifegardeners.org/forum/habitat/8703-wild-parsnip-plague-landscape.html

Helping Nature Along

The other day I was walking--visiting the various trees and shrubs I've put in over the years. Our first spring here, I added three hazelnut seedlings. Last year, the one produced one cluster of nuts that something ate before they ripened and I could get to them. I had only noticed the catkins last year, but this year, while checking out the hazelnut closest to the house (about 50 ft away from the back door), I noticed tiny red flowers--and realized they must be the female flower and the catkin, the male. (I really hadn't thought much about it until that point.)

The shrub in our back yard has only two female flowers, so I decided to grab a catkin from the other shrub to try to see if I could help pollinate the two (this is normally done by the wind for this shrub). We'll see if I was successful or not later in the season. :)


female flower


female flower and male catkin (right)

More Flowers

After the snails, bugs, and slugs post, I thought I'd post some things that are more traditionally considered beautiful: