We are going to different parts of the yard for this month's Wildflower Wednesday, hosted by Gail at Clay and Limestone. The latest of the goldenrods to bloom this season is the Riddell's.
The bees and other pollinators are enjoying it. I don't remember if I've seen this kind of moth before.
I'm still not sure what this little plant is, that I have several of. I've noticed they are doing some spreading. Some of the blooms are turning pink.
Here's a closer look at a bloom.
I think I've mentioned the zig zag goldenrod transplanted well this spring, and since the rest of the plant I took this from is getting crowded, so I think I'll move the rest to this side of the sidewalk. I'm pleased that this clump spread a little, even though it was crowded by the dahlias that overwintered in the ground.
The rigid, or stiff goldenrod clump is almost finished blooming.
I like the look of the faded blooms.
Here's another little bloom lower on the plant. At this point of the season, I am not deadheading, but I wonder if I should have on this one.
I did deadhead the gray headed coneflowers, and all but one clump are continuing to bloom.
The wild senna foliage is turning pretty colors. Behind it is a clump of little bluestem, more gray headed coneflowers, and to the right is Riddel's goldenrod. The small clump of yarrow is not the native kind.
Pitcher sage is a lovely blue fall bloom. I plan to get some more from a local plant sale in the spring, where I've been told more will be.
I've seen a few birds eating seeds from the coneflowers.
Here's one more bloom making an appearance.
I still didn't figure out which liatrises are which, that I planted, but this may be thick spiked, or pycnostachya. Two neighbor boys brought birthday cards to me the other day, and I invited them to sit on the bench, while I pushed the liatris aside and sat in the chair. It was cool to see both of them holding the liatris, kind of stroking it. I told them I liked what they are doing, but there are some plants that are not safe to touch. On our way out of the area, one of them asked if those plants were safe to touch. Smart boys!
I like the fall colors on the leaves of the golden alexander, which did not rebloom after deadheading. I'm glad I kept some seed heads on a different plant, because I read they are short lived, but reseed.
Here's the little single stemmed mint I didn't plant. I am trying to decide if it is going to be well enough behaved to keep.
Do you know what it is?
Wild quinine is one of the native plants that look good, even when the flowers are spent.
The last liatris to bloom still has color.
I think this is a New England aster. The stems of the plants did not turn a dark color this year like they have in the past. I did learn to cut it back early in summer so it would put out new growth, which seems to help. I'm thinking the hot dry summer may have had something to do with it. Now that they are blooming, I am seeing some new little plants around. I don't remember them seeding in the past, but my memory is not the best.
This is the first year I've noticed lambsleaf sage growing in the yard, and it is all over the place! I pulled some up, hoping for fewer volunteers next year. My weed book says it's in the mint family. The blooms are very small, and I like the color, but the brownish seed pods are not so pretty.
We are heading to the side yard to see more wildflowers. I guess the goldenrod 'Wichita Mountains' is not so much a wildflower, but I sure like it, and so do the insects.
I normally take a few days to work on a post. When I went to work on this, I accidentally got to my post on the side yard, and wrote some things that I meant to put here. Once I figured it out, I went ahead and kept what I wrote there.
The short toothed mountain mint is one of my favorites, partly because it looks good all season, and because the pollinators love it. I'm pleased that the caterpillars that devoured the baptisia on the back yard side of this area left this one alone. The dark specks are the seed pods.
This is more of the 'Wichita Mountains' goldenrod, and an aster, or former aster that has been in the area for a number of years, seeding itself around.
I've had this goldenrod a number of years, and don't remember if it's a hybrid or native one. The blooms look more like the wild kind than others I have. It only gets about 18 to 24 inches tall, and does not spread much.
The amsonia hubrichtii is starting to turn its fall color.
These are Virginia mountain mint and eupatorium 'Prairie Jewel', which is a hybrid relative of Joe Pye weed.
The boltonia is falling down this year. Still, it is full of blooms in varying stages of development.
The yellow toadflax, or what I first knew as butter and eggs are almost finished, but a few blooms are adding color to the pots in the driveway.
The black eyed Susans are about finished blooming but the brown eyed ones are still holding on.
I am also enjoying the fall foliage on this swamp milkweed.
Have you made it to Gail's blog yet? Here's the link. I hope you are enjoying good weather like we are. I still hope for rain, but sure am enjoying the bit of time I have outside before it gets dark out.
(When I looked at this post in preview, I noticed some of the photos are not centered. I can't remember which ones, and do not have time to rearrange each one. I've noticed they will all say they are centered, even if they are not. Oh, well, at least they are the size I want.)
The bees and other pollinators are enjoying it. I don't remember if I've seen this kind of moth before.
I'm still not sure what this little plant is, that I have several of. I've noticed they are doing some spreading. Some of the blooms are turning pink.
Here's a closer look at a bloom.
I think I've mentioned the zig zag goldenrod transplanted well this spring, and since the rest of the plant I took this from is getting crowded, so I think I'll move the rest to this side of the sidewalk. I'm pleased that this clump spread a little, even though it was crowded by the dahlias that overwintered in the ground.
The rigid, or stiff goldenrod clump is almost finished blooming.
I like the look of the faded blooms.
Here's another little bloom lower on the plant. At this point of the season, I am not deadheading, but I wonder if I should have on this one.
I did deadhead the gray headed coneflowers, and all but one clump are continuing to bloom.
The wild senna foliage is turning pretty colors. Behind it is a clump of little bluestem, more gray headed coneflowers, and to the right is Riddel's goldenrod. The small clump of yarrow is not the native kind.
Pitcher sage is a lovely blue fall bloom. I plan to get some more from a local plant sale in the spring, where I've been told more will be.
I've seen a few birds eating seeds from the coneflowers.
Here's one more bloom making an appearance.
I still didn't figure out which liatrises are which, that I planted, but this may be thick spiked, or pycnostachya. Two neighbor boys brought birthday cards to me the other day, and I invited them to sit on the bench, while I pushed the liatris aside and sat in the chair. It was cool to see both of them holding the liatris, kind of stroking it. I told them I liked what they are doing, but there are some plants that are not safe to touch. On our way out of the area, one of them asked if those plants were safe to touch. Smart boys!
I like the fall colors on the leaves of the golden alexander, which did not rebloom after deadheading. I'm glad I kept some seed heads on a different plant, because I read they are short lived, but reseed.
Here's the little single stemmed mint I didn't plant. I am trying to decide if it is going to be well enough behaved to keep.
Do you know what it is?
Wild quinine is one of the native plants that look good, even when the flowers are spent.
The last liatris to bloom still has color.
I think this is a New England aster. The stems of the plants did not turn a dark color this year like they have in the past. I did learn to cut it back early in summer so it would put out new growth, which seems to help. I'm thinking the hot dry summer may have had something to do with it. Now that they are blooming, I am seeing some new little plants around. I don't remember them seeding in the past, but my memory is not the best.
This is the first year I've noticed lambsleaf sage growing in the yard, and it is all over the place! I pulled some up, hoping for fewer volunteers next year. My weed book says it's in the mint family. The blooms are very small, and I like the color, but the brownish seed pods are not so pretty.
We are heading to the side yard to see more wildflowers. I guess the goldenrod 'Wichita Mountains' is not so much a wildflower, but I sure like it, and so do the insects.
I normally take a few days to work on a post. When I went to work on this, I accidentally got to my post on the side yard, and wrote some things that I meant to put here. Once I figured it out, I went ahead and kept what I wrote there.
The short toothed mountain mint is one of my favorites, partly because it looks good all season, and because the pollinators love it. I'm pleased that the caterpillars that devoured the baptisia on the back yard side of this area left this one alone. The dark specks are the seed pods.
This is more of the 'Wichita Mountains' goldenrod, and an aster, or former aster that has been in the area for a number of years, seeding itself around.
I've had this goldenrod a number of years, and don't remember if it's a hybrid or native one. The blooms look more like the wild kind than others I have. It only gets about 18 to 24 inches tall, and does not spread much.
The amsonia hubrichtii is starting to turn its fall color.
These are Virginia mountain mint and eupatorium 'Prairie Jewel', which is a hybrid relative of Joe Pye weed.
The boltonia is falling down this year. Still, it is full of blooms in varying stages of development.
The black eyed Susans are about finished blooming but the brown eyed ones are still holding on.
I am also enjoying the fall foliage on this swamp milkweed.
Have you made it to Gail's blog yet? Here's the link. I hope you are enjoying good weather like we are. I still hope for rain, but sure am enjoying the bit of time I have outside before it gets dark out.
(When I looked at this post in preview, I noticed some of the photos are not centered. I can't remember which ones, and do not have time to rearrange each one. I've noticed they will all say they are centered, even if they are not. Oh, well, at least they are the size I want.)
