Fun in the Front Yard

I am behind in most things, but have been having fun trying to catch up.  I am glad my substituting (as a paraeducator) is limited to two days a week until the end of November.  I can handle September knowing I will have more time to enjoy it as the temps cool off, not that they have yet.  I don't remember when I did my last update in the front yard, but got to taking photos the other day, so thought I'd do a post.

Many things are finished blooming, but a few are just now opening their blooms.

The cup plant still looks impressive, even though it's almost finished blooming.  Last year, I deadheaded it, but think I'll let the birds have a go at the seeds, and hope the neighbors don't complain about volunteers in their yards.

I keep forgetting which Liatris is which.  I think this may be aspera.  The bees have been enjoying it.

The Zig zag goldenrod is just starting to bloom.  Most of the buds are not yet open.

The Rigid goldenrod blooms are open now, and being enjoyed by the Goldenrod soldier beetles.

I think the whitish airy blooms are Boltonia.  They have been open a couple days.  I'm trying to remember if that's a different kind of Goldenrod on the other side of them.

I included this photo because of the small insects on it.  The leaves make me think it's another Rigid goldenrod.

I wonder if this Liatris is ligulistylis.  It is blooming later than some of the other Liatris.

Riddell's goldenrod is native to the states next to us.  It seems to like it in our yard.

I've enjoyed seeing the growth of the Little bluestem, Wild senna, and the Rudbeckia maxima, which is also native to states near by.

This is a closer view of the Wild senna.  I wish the bloom time was longer, but the seed pods are pretty cool.

The Rudbeckia maxima seed heads look good all season.  I hope the hummingbirds come soon to enjoy the Agastache and Salvia 'Black and Blue'.

The Pitcher sage is looking good.  They're another one just starting to bloom.

I love this color!  I need some more of this on the side of the house to offset all that yellow over there.

The Switchgrass cultivar, 'Northwind' is well behaved in this spot.

Turning back to the east, we see Liatris pycnostachya 'Eureka' and Gray-headed coneflowers, which I have deadheaded.  Behind, is the Sweet black eyed Susan.

Here's a better view of the Sweet black eyed Susan growing next to the lacy foliaged Illinois bundleflower.

The Switchgrass 'Prairie Wind' plants are blooming now.  I continue to enjoy the Wild quinine blooms.

I think I included this photo to show the blooms of the Prairie dropseed.

I'm loving the seed pods on the Illinois bundleflower!

Here is where I decided to show some wider views from the porch.

I hope all is going well with you and you are able to enjoy time in your gardens. 

I can't believe it's late August Wildflower Wednesday

I am not ready for August to be over, but since I don't have a say in it, I'll try to make the best of it, upper 90s to 100s and all.  Gail from Clay and Limestone hosts Wildflower Wednesday the 4th Wednesday of each month.  I am showing blooms from different parts of the yard this time.

Starting at the front porch, we see the lovely foliage of Illinois bundleflower.  It's not blooming, but has lovely seedpods, which are turning brown.

See?  I love it!

Here's a closer view of the Sweet black-eyed susan, Liatris pycnostachya 'Eureka', and Gray-headed coneflowers.

Wild quinine continues to be one of my favorites.  Normally, there are bees and wasps on it, but these photos were taken in the evening, when there aren't as many around.

Whorled milkweed is another favorite of mine and the bees and wasps.  I've mentioned that I dug some up from our church property, where I'm pretty sure they were growing on their own, so these are closer to being native than the other plants which do grow naturally at least in my part of the country.

The Stiff, or Rigid goldenrod, Solidago rigida, is just starting to bloom.

I think this Liatris is aspera.  It is just opening its flowers this week.

The Pitcher sage, which I got from our Community Crops plant sale, is a local native.  I'm thinking this is the kind found north of Lincoln that a cultivar was bred from.  I'm pretty sure it is not the cultivar.  I'll have to ask about that.

This Clematis pitcheri may be a cultivar, but I couldn't find the name of it online.  When I did a search of images, I found a number of photos of this plant.  LOL

The bees are continuing to enjoy the Joe pye weed.

The Cup plant is still blooming!

I have tried growing Flowering spurge, Euphorbia corollata several times, and am glad I tried again, because this one is doing pretty well.  I hope it seeds itself around.  Do you know if it will?

The Mexican hats seeded around, and I was able to give some of these away.  I wonder how many there will be next year.  At least, when pulled, they stay pulled.

I think this Goldenrod is a cultivar of some kind.  It looks more similar to the native kind than some of the others I have.

The butterfly milkweed is still blooming and I think this is a hoverfly enjoying some nectar.

This is Zig zag goldenrod, a native I just discovered a couple or three years ago.  I like it.

There are some Brown eyed susans invading the space of the Short toothed mountain mint.  If it they spread more, I will have to pull some out.  I have to pull extras out from the vegetable garden, where they grow on the north side of the garage.

I've had this Helenium autumnale for a long time, and don't remember if it's a cultivar or the native kind.  There is also Blue mist spirea, another Brown eyed susan, and a mystery Goldenrod.

This is a volunteer.  I wonder if it's Cut leaf coneflower.  What do you think?  It also reminds me of Grayheaded coneflower, but the bloom color seems to be a little lighter.

I have deadheaded the False sunflower once, and will continue to, because the blooms get dark and ratty looking when they are finished.

I have not counted how many favorite native/wild flowers I have, but Rattlesnake master is another one I love.  It, too, is normally loaded with pollinators.

Back to the porch, here's the view of the east side of the yard, facing southish.

Heading west:

Further west:

Too soon, these things will be brown, and providing food and cover for a number of critters.  Then, in the spring, I'll clean it up, putting whatever I can on a compost pile, and will wait for the new growth to begin.  Now that I'm working fewer hours, I will be able to enjoy fall more, and not feel as rushed to get the vegetable garden picked and taken care of.

I am helping a local Rotary Club plant a butterfly garden at a Girl Scout Day Camp at the edge of town, or at least, it used to be, and since the land, complete with prairie grasses was donated to a foundation, it will remain undeveloped, even though the city has expanded beyond it.  I will show some photos.  I forgot to take some while we were planting, but will remember Friday evening, when we go plant some more.

I was told the person who used to live on the property planted this area in native grasses quite awhile ago, and some non native plants have grown in the area as well.  There were not many flowers, but I took photos of the few I saw.  I'm not sure which thistles are native here.  I think the "turkey" looking blooms are Big bluestem.  I loved the fallen tree in the background.  It is in the next photo as well.

I was told they cut and bale the "praire" in the fall.

I asked people on FB to identify some of these grasses.  Big bluestem is in the background, and I think, someone said the golden blooms are Indian grass.

I was excited to see a few clumps of ironweed.   Greg guessed at a name for the fluffy flowered grass, but I don't remember what he said.  Maybe I'll get a chance to look tomorrow.

Thanks again, Gail, for hosting Wildflower Wednesday!