Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wildflower Wednesday

Gail, at Clay and Limestone, hosts Wildflower Wednesday the fourth Wednesday of the month.   I always think I am going to try for shorter posts, but I don't seem to have control over my camera, and have trouble figuring out which photos to include, so more come in than I plan for.

I have shown the heuchera richardsonii, prairie alumroot, in other posts, but wanted to include one here, because I am so tickled with the nice foliage and they have been blooming quite awhile.  Across the path is one of the whorled milkweed plants I transplanted from a flowerbed at church that I take care of.


Here's a closer view.  I have been deadheading these, so maybe that's part of the reason they have been blooming over a month.


The golden alexanders are flopping a bit, but are continuing to bloom.


The wild quinine from earlier last spring is taller and blooming earlier than the couple others I planted later in the season.  One of them does have some buds starting to come up.


The gray headed coneflowers are loaded with buds, and this one had a visitor today.


I'm thinking this is rudbeckia maxima, getting ready to send up flower stalks.


At least 10 years ago, before we added on to our church, I really liked these plants, not knowing what they were, and moved some from the area that they were going to be building in.  Thankfully, they did well in the area I moved them to, and folks from church are none the wiser that we have whorled milkweed growing in our "yard".  I am tickled that the ones I transplanted to our home front yard are doing pretty well, and this one is blooming.


Do you know what this is?  I can't remember, but am thinking it is some kind of goldenrod.  I tried looking it up, but couldn't find it.


Purple milkweed with a bee:


Purple poppy mallow:


I can't remember the names of the different coneflowers, but the ones the rabbits haven't eaten down are just starting to bloom.



The common milkweed is coming up way beyond the area I have allotted to it, but the plants seem to pull up easily.  I sure am enjoying these, and hope to see some caterpillars on them soon.



Aren't milkweed blooms beauties?


I started an album on Facebook, called, "Do you know what these are?"  So far, only one person thought this may be fleabane.  There are actually two plants that have very similar blooms, but different leaves.  I noticed this evening that both plants' flowers close as it is getting dark.  Do you know what this is?


Here's a closer view.


I'm thinking this is a wild or native foxglove, but couldn't find the name of it online, either.


Here's the other plant I'd like help identifying.


The leaves are narrower than on the other one.


Meadow rue:


Swamp milkweed:


I think this is a bellflower of some kind.  It is very spready and does not stay pulled when you try to keep it in line, except it seems to be kept in line here, maybe because of all the plants so close to it.  Still, the one in the front will grow right over other plants.


Amsonia and babtisia:


The gas plant seed pods are pretty cool.  I'm thinking they will turn a darker color.


I must have forgotten to take off the micro feature when I zoomed on the showy milkweed in the vegetable garden.  I want to include it anyway, because I am pleased with all the lovely blooms on this 3 or 4 year old plant.


I've grown these butter and eggs, or toadflax in a wash tub for about 4 or 5 years.  I am pleased they continue to do well there.  They are too spready for the ground in our yard.


I moved some of the wild petunias to the front.  I hope they grow as well as this one under the fence in our back yard.


I have several kinds of switchgrass in the yard, and this is the native kind.  It is the only one blooming so far.  I found out it is considered invasive in some places.  I wonder if it is from self sowing that it spreads the most.


Thanks, Gail, for hosting Wildflower Wednesday.  I didn't post my phlox pilosa 'Happy Traveler' because I'm not sure it would be considered a wildflower.  One or more rabbits ate down all the blooms on one of my plants, so they like it as well as the other natives I have planted.

Happy gardening!

10 comments:

  1. Great post. Your garden is much farther along than mine. You gave me some great ideas for new native plants to add.

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  2. I'm glad you didn't hold back. Enjoyed every minute of my read. You have a veritable paradise for all sorts of little creatures (and of course for the odd 2-legged ones as well.) At some point you may want to take a shovel to some of the milkweed - every time you break a piece off it will send up more shoots (the voice of a gal who spent a couple of afternoons, selectively moving it around a perennial garden.)

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  3. I enjoyed seeing your wild flowers. You have quite a good selection .. and stories behind some of them.

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  4. Like you, I love milkweed blossoms! My six Monarch caterpillars munched up two purple milkweed and have now gone off to make their chrysalis. Your native plants are lovely! Wish my quinine and showy milkweed seedlings would show themselves.

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  5. You have so many flowers coming into bloom now Sue. I really like that Toadflax. How pretty. Have a wonderful week and weekend.

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  6. I really don't mind having more pictures to ogle at. Besides, your pictures are well taken. I like the white milkweed too.

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  7. Sue, You are the milkweed queen! I wish I could make all the different ones you grow happier...they are so picky and want more sun than we have here at C and L! Love all your flowers and please, keep up the delightful narratives. xogail

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  8. Your milkweeds are fantastic. I tried several kinds from seed but they didn't make it through the winter, so far. I'm not sure the butterflies that use them for host plants occur up here either. I'd also like to grow Ruellia, I hope I can succeed with them. Lovely photos.

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  9. My goodness, I didn't know how very many wildflowers you had there in your garden! Toadflax sure looks like plain ol' snapdragons to me!

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  10. That fleabane could be like the erigeron philadelphicus ( is it the same or the same family : asteracea )

    And please, don't cut on pictures! ah ah! We are like butterfly: we like to go from one flower to another. A garden with only one or two flowers would be boring! 8p

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