I love having butterflies and hummingbirds in my garden . So when I buy plants for my garden I try to keep them in mind. Many of my transplants are Daisies, Coneflower, Delphiniums, Sea Holly, Butterfly Bush and Yarrow. I've also added Hollyhocks, Ironweed, Russian sage, Helenium "Mardi Gras" also known as Helen's flower. I've also added some annuals this year, Zinnias, Cosmos, Morning Glories, Love in the Mist and Convolvulus tricolor which is a dwarf morning glory, but has brilliant blue color. So I believe the butterflies, birds and hummingbird have a nice selection of flowers to chose from. These flowers and the creatures they feed will also make great photographic subjects. Which photos will follow. Here is where we are right now.......
In this photo the bed closest has the Ironweed, my floribunda rose "Angel Face" and the annuals that I started from seed which you'll see below
This bed consists of the Delphiniums, Coneflowers, Daisies, Butterfly Bush, Black-eyed Susan "Irish Spring", Sea Holly, Daylily and another floribunda rose "Julia Child".
In the above photo I've mulch the bed, but not the annuals as of yet. Until they get a little taller, I'll wait on the mulch. The bed in the foreground is the Iris bed.
Here I have Morning Glory seedlings. There are two varieties here. One is the traditional blue and the other is the white with a purple center. I think they will look fantastic trailing up the bamboo tee pees I've made for them.
Above here are Zinnia seedlings. These are the Giant Zinnias that grow I think 3 feet tall and an assortment of colors.
Over here I have one of 3 Hollyhocks I bought this year. They are all double blooms and are yellow, red and pink. Hollyhocks tend to reseed. After a year or two they fade. Can't wait to see how these turn out!
And here I have the Convolvulus tricolor. This little gem looks like a Morning Glory, but is brilliant blue and is a dwarf. I first saw these many years ago when I worked at the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.
See ya next week!!
