Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
Right when the balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, is about to bloom, it does its best impression of a balloon. It's so good at it, I have to work really hard to keep myself from trying to squeeze it and make it pop! In addition to having a really fun bud stage, this is a hard-working perennial. I love a plant you can put in the ground and …
Continue Reading about The Flower That Thinks It’s a Balloon
It's early April, but I've already started mowing the grass. The backyard just got a little too unruly, and I have already gotten my first tick of the season. This is always a sign that it's time to mow. I try never to walk through grass higher than my ankle for that reason. Now, I try to keep the front yard nice and well maintained, so the …
When I reach my limit with the bleakness of winter and cold temperatures, the tiniest pink striped flowers start to poke their heads out of lawns and ditches. To me, the Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a harbinger of spring and warmer weather. These wildflowers bloom just before the false garlic – so they fill up the lawns and …
Continue Reading about Virginia Spring Beauty – Claytonia virginica
Fall in the southeast still tends toward the warmer temps, which means that bees and butterflies are still hanging around. The scorching heat and sun of the late summer has often killed off many of the most prolific flowering plants, meaning there are less flowers for the pollinators to feed on. Adding a few fall-flowering plants can provide a …
Continue Reading about Fall Asters: Purple Blooms for Bees, Butterflies, & Beauty
It's nearly the fall season and that means mums (better known as chrysanthemums) will be available for your fall decor very soon. I used to avoid planting mums. I thought they were boring and too ubiquitous in fall. However, I have discovered a couple of mums with a unique appearance and some new colors and now I appreciate the simple mum. …
I love this plant. Nothing says 'good morning to you' like a bright orange flower. But it's not just me! The hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies have all cast their votes too. This afternoon, I saw a ruby-throated hummingbird feeding on one of the flowers. Tithonia is excellent for attracting and feeding pollinators. Mix it in with a few …
Continue Reading about How to Grow Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
