Wednesday, October 26, 2016

October Wildflower Wednesday

We've had some nights in the lower 30s, that killed the ends of the tomato plants.  We are still picking some tomatoes, though.  Most of the flowering plants are finished blooming, but there is still some beauty out there, that I decided to post for Gail's Wildflower Wednesday.  Some of the photos were taken around noon, when the sun was quite bright, and some around 6:30 in the evening, when it was near time to get dark.

The different liatrises are nice and fluffy.  I saw a sparrow on one that was on the side of the house.  I am not sure if I knew the birds ate these seeds.  The color behind it is an amsonia hubrichtii.


Lead plant is such a slow grower when it is small, but is worth the wait.


Some of the big leaf asters are finished blooming, but some are still looking fresh.  I'm not sure what the little insect is on one of the blooms.


I was surprised to see a few purple coneflowers blooming.  I did have to pull some this summer due to aster yellows.


The Virginia mountain mints look good, even when going to seed.


The Illinois bundleflowers look their best when going to seed.


Cup plants are ones I've seen birds feed from all through the winter.


Our grandaughter loves the different goldenrod seedheads because they are fluffy.  I don't remember what kind of beetle that is, but am thinking it is one I usually see on milkweed. It took off before I could get a clearer photo of it.


Aren't clematis pitcherii seed pots cool?


Deadheading the gray headed coneflowers prolonged their bloom time.  When I bought the Liatris pyconostachya 'Eureka' I didn't notice the 'Eureka' written in pencil until I got it home.   Oh, well, some of the other ones I have are also cultivars. It is shorter than other years.



Rattlesnake master is a fun plant to grow.


I am not sure what kind of goldenrod this is.  It is one of Ruby's favorites.


The New England asters were one of the last to bloom, and I am sad they are about finished.


Round headed bushclover is another one that was a slow grower here.  It bloomed last year, but was much shorter, and the blooms were smaller.  I am tickled with how well the two plants did this year.


The short toothed mountain mint looks awesome all season, and usually has insect visitors on it.






I know I've shown most if not all of these plants in posts, but am not sure if I have shown them at this time of the season.  I hope we all have some nice fall days before winter gets here.

12 comments:

  1. How beautiful your garden is in ALL seasons, Sue. Do you keep a yard list of birds that visit? I would think that you'd have a great variety checking out the fantastic seed and insect buffet that you've laid out! Cynthia

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    1. Thanks, Cynthia, I don't keep a list, but maybe I will one of these days. I know what most of the birds are, but sometimes see some I can't identify. We have robins, blue jays, doves, sparrows, finches of different kinds, cardinals, and I'll have to see if I can think of more. I need to read a book to see what things the different birds. I don't know which are seed feeders, and which eat insects.

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  2. Illinois bundleflowers in seed look fascinating

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  3. Oh my, I am loving all the seeds and spent blooms you've photographed in your garden. They really are attractive and deserve so much more attention than most gardeners give them. The mountain mint is still blooming prolifically in my garden and the pollinators love it. Most mornings I sit with a cup of coffee watching the birds visit the berries and seeds on all the plants. So much more satisfying than a feeder.

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  4. Hi Sue, i've not been here for quite sometime. They are still beautiful when in your photos. We are also starting to get colder, courtesy of the southeast monsoon from our neighbor continents.

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  5. This is beautiful, Sue, as always. I love to study the seedheads of the wildflowers--such a worthy subject and full of hope. I can see why Ruby likes that Goldenrod--such a beauty at this stage, and I'm sure it's gorgeous in bloom, too.

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  6. Your garden is amazing! I love the photo at the top...my kind of garden!

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  7. Sometimes those dried seed pods and flower heads look even more interesting than the original flowers!

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  8. The seed heads are gorgeous. I love to study them and marvel at their intricate construction. Wonderful post!

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  10. Sue - Your lawn-less garden is always an inspiration. I am working on lawnlessness myself.

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  11. All these different seedheads are beautiful! You know the Illinois bundleflowers are my favorite, though. We still haven't had a frost here--the weatherman said last night that when it finally comes, it will be the latest frost ever on record!

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