Late June Wildflower Blooms ~ 2013

A lot of the late spring - early summer wildflowers are starting to fade (oxeye daisies, milkweed), but there are several more that should be in full bloom within the next month. :)

Here's a sampling of what's blooming now in my gardens and along the roadside...

Echinacea purpurea 'Purple Coneflower'

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
Not a native Coreopsis, but still a wonderful flower!

Larkspur? Not sure of the type or even if it's the right ID. This is one of the plants I picked up at the Master Gardener
plant exchange and I've lost the tag and forgot what it was! 

Asclepias tuberosa 'Butterfly Weed, Milkweed'
From my garden, but it's also growing wild along the roadsides and fields. The sad thing is that within the next month (about the time the Monarchs are at their peak), most of the fields will be mowed down or brush hogged. I've grown milkweed for the past ten years and last year (for the first time), I didn't have a single Monarch caterpillar. It saddens me that their numbers have declined so much...

Datura inoxia 'Angels Trumpet'
Native to Mexico and Central America. Not really a perennial in my gardens, but it reseeds easily. This plant is a member of the nightshade family and all parts are extremely toxic. Interesting though, my free range chickens seem to have some sort of innate ability to discern what is tasty and what could be poisonous. This plant is also a host to the tobacco hornworm moth.

Verbascum thapsus 'Common Mullien'
Common throughout Missouri, but originally one of the first plants introduced from Europe. Actually I thought this was a native Missouri wildflower for years and transplanted it from a field into my garden! 

Aristolochia tomentosa 'Dutchman's Pipe'
Vine native to Missouri, host plant to the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

Asclepias syriaca 'Common Milkweed'
Along the fence line down the road from my property. Host plant of the Monarch buterfly.

Campsis radicans 'Trumpet Vine, Trumpetcreeper'
Native to Missouri. The blooms are a favorite of hummingbirds and it's also thicket forming (which also attracts birds as a shelter - protection), This grows wild along my fence line and last season I transplanted some of this vine to a container/trellis outside my bedroom window. It's growing wild and crazy, but I don't think it will bloom until next year. Hopefully I'll get to enjoy watching the hummingbirds eat from a natural food source.

Packera aurea 'Golden Ragwort, Squaw weed)
Native to Missouri. Growing along the fence line...

May Dreams Gardens
clay and limestone

April 2013

I don't have as many blooms as I did in April 2012...  Spring in the Ozarks came about 6 weeks earlier last year - I even had Irises in bloom around the 15th of April. This year, however, is probably more of a normal year. I do have a few early spring flowers in bloom. The daffodils are still going strong (especially the white varieties) and many of my faithful perennials are showing their colors.

The weather has finally warmed up to the 50-70°F range, but we're still in danger of frost until the first week of May. And.. it's definitely been windy! Check out Ester's wind-blown feathers!

Here are a few of the blooms I've been enjoying... ♥

Forsythia

Spice Bush (native!)

Bleeding Hearts; maybe one more month until they're in  full boom.
 Stylophorum diphyllum 'Celandine Poppy'

Hellebores; Also a little slow to start blooming, but now they're going strong!

Pulmonaria 'Lungwort'
Its flowers are short living, but the foliage stays looking nice through most of the season. Another bonus of this plant - the deer won't eat it!

I took a break today from the market chores (Rebecca's Bird Gardens) and I finally started cleaning out the garden beds and pulling a ton of weeds. My hens were by my side helping as much as they could. ♥  I have about decided to construct a large fenced-in area for the chickens. I'm getting tired of the girls scratching up my mulched paths in my butterfly garden. And there is the issue of chicken poop - all over the deck and driveway... I love allowing them free range, but restricted foraging may be in their future.

Even though I have countless birdhouses around my property and I'm surrounded by mature trees and shrubs, a couple of birds have built their nests in the strangest places.

A house finch constructed her nest in a Christmas wreath that I failed to take down. Now the wreath has to stay another month or so until her young ones are ready to be on their own. She is actually not the best mother...  She leaves her eggs anytime we are in her sight.

An example of a great mother bird is the Carolina wren that is nesting between the battery chargers in my husband's workshop. She is very protective of her brood and she rarely leaves the nest; even when there is - drilling, nailing, sawing going on right next to her. She's such an cute bird (and full of personality) that we don't mind her taking up residence for a while. :)


I invite you to "like" my Facebook page to see all the Market happenings and my latest DIY projects! Click on this link:
                Rebecca's Bird Gardens (Facebook)

Outdoor Wednesday
I'd Rather B Birdn'
Wild Bird Wednesday
Nature Notes
May Dreams Garden

February Blooms ♥

Galanthus nivalis 'Snowdrops'

We haven't had much of a winter in southwest Missouri...  A couple of days with a dusting of snowflakes and a few nights of freezing temps - and that's been about the extent of our winter months. In fact, several of my perennials that usually die back and go dormant, have remained green throughout the winter...

I can't say that I've missed the cold, but I would love one "real" snowstorm before spring officially arrives. However, I'm thrilled I have a few early spring blooms starting to appear and I'm already planning what new plants to add to the kitchen garden this year.

Here's a few mid-February blooms to share...

Sure sign of spring: the crocus ♥

New this year!
Hamamelis vernalis 'Ozark Witch Hazel'

Winter blooms - Hellebores!

Esther, the Cinnamon Queen, foraging for any surviving winter bug or grub...

May Dreams

October Blooms

Symphyotrichum patens 'Spreading Aster'
Native Missouri wildflower ~ the last of my fall blooms...

A Late Walk

When I go up through the mowing field,

The headless aftermath,

Smooth-laid like thatch with the heavy dew,

Half closes the garden path.

And when I come to the garden ground,

The whir of sober birds

Up from the tangle of withered weeds

Is sadder than any words

A tree beside the wall stands bare,

But a leaf that lingered brown,

Disturbed, I doubt not, by my thought,

Comes softly rattling down.

I end not far from my going forth

By picking the faded blue

Of the last remaining aster flower

To carry again to you. 

-Robert Frost

Garden Bloggers' Boom Day

Our World Tuesday
Outdoors Wednesday

September Blooms

..or  What Blooms in a Drought

This has definitely been the most colorless season I've had in my flower gardens. One reason - the 3rd summer of drought; the second reason: I've fenced the chickens out of the kitchen garden so they've made a scratched-up mess of every garden bed they have access to. Next year--I'm adding more fencing...

For some unknown reason, it seems that yellow is the theme for this early fall season. Maybe yellow flowers are more drought tolerant than other colors? Whatever the reason, here's what is left of a summer of record high temperatures and little rainfall...

Flore Pleno (Helianthus multiflorus) ~ perennial sunflower

Cheap, easy-to-grow annual Sunflowers :)

Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis) ~ a perennial native...

Golden Rod ~ several native varieties in the Ozarks 

New addition to the kitchen garden: a little toad house from a local artist!
I planted marigolds in the kitchen garden last year and my husband referred to them as an "unexpected beauty." When he notices flowers--I remember it...
I will always plant these unexpected beauties!

Garden Bloggers' Boom Day

Kitchen Garden 2012 ~ Garlic and Basil...

2012 - the year I finally accomplished my goal (or dream) of a kitchen garden...

Actually my intention was for my vegetable garden to be as visually appealing as it is productive and I think I've accomplished that goal! A kitchen garden or potager is (by definition), a central feature of an ornamental, all-season landscape, it may be little more than a humble vegetable plot. It is a source of herbs, vegetables, and fruits, but it is often also a structured garden space with a design based on repetitive geometric patterns. The kitchen garden has year-round visual appeal and can incorporate permanent perennials or woody shrub plantings around (or among) the annuals.


I realized last season that the first step in creating a kitchen garden was to prevent my free-ranging chickens from having access to this area. I accomplished this my fencing in the entire garden which has proven a success! The fence not only keeps the hens at bay, it also adds a little extra structure, height and visual appeal to the garden.

I've added marigolds along the paths of the garden, both for their color and for hopefully a little protection against garden pests. A dwarf variety of sunflowers are strategically placed in the front as a sunny welcome and to attract bees, butterflies and goldfinches...

Earlier in the season I harvested cool season crops of lettuce, spinach and broccoli--now several herbs are at their peak.

Two years ago I attended a Master Gardener class on garlic:  how to grow garlic, harvest it, braid it, etc...  As an added benefit of the class, we each received a few bulbs of an heirloom variety, Inchelium Red Garlic Allium sativum var. sativum. It's one of the most productive of all the heirloom garlics and probably one of the best tasting. It's also a "softneck" or braidable variety because the tops are soft-stemmed and dry into a grass that can be tied together or braided. All garlics should be planted in the late fall for best bulb development the following year.

I'm a little obsessed with basil. I love its aroma, texture, color...  and I'm also crazy about pesto! This year I planted several varieties. Some are my favorite for cooking and some are just ornamental, but grouped together in my garden they're gorgeous! When I harvest the leaves or prune the plants the smell is intoxicating...

Basil is an easy herb to grow as long as you plant it when the night temperatures are above 50°F. I usually plant basil about the same time as tomatoes. They both need their feet (or roots) to be warm and are actually great companion plants for the garden. Supposedly growing basil around tomatoes can increase the tomato's  yield about 20%.  It's also important to routinely prune basil to have a continual harvest of leaves throughout the season. If the plants are allowed to flower the leaves begin to take on a bitter taste. Some of my basil I simply use as an ornamental plant (as apposed to culinary), and I purposely allow the blooms to brighten the garden...

 Greek Columnar Basil

Greek Columnar Basil is named for its unique growth habit. While reaching 3′ tall, it only grows 10″ across resulting in a stately columnar appearance. It is one of the stronger-flavored basils, good for stews and hearty dishes in modest amounts. Greek Columnar Basil is not the best basil variety for pesto. There are overtones of cinnamon in its aroma. Greek Columnar Basil has smaller leaves and an upright habit, and is late to bloom.

 Mammoth Basil

Mammoth Basil has a stronger, fuller flavor than sweet basil and the leaves are HUGE! The plants have a shorter growth habit and are great for pots and growing indoors.

 Sweet Basil

The gold standard in basil varieties...

 Comparison of Mammoth (left) vs. Sweet (right)

  Lemon Basil

Lemon Basil is one of the most unique and delightful of the basils. It is an asset to a huge variety of fresh dishes, especially salads, whether lettuce or pasta. 

 Ruffled (Serata) and Spicy Globe

Serata Ruffled Basil has unique ruffled leaves with a good basil flavor. Lovely and unusual as a bouquet filler, as a flavorful plate garnish or perfect for a contrast plant in the garden. Serata Basil does very well in containers too. Pinch plant back to keep compact. Spicy Globe Basil is a delightful garden plant because of its very round, compact shape and tiny, flavorful leaves, roughly half the size of sweet basil.

Magical Michael
Unlike most basils, Magical Michael grows uniformly, making it an ideal container plant or for use in small beds. This is a sweet basil with lush, fragrant green leaves. The flowers are also a curiosity, with purple calices and white corollas. When presentation is important, use the flowers as an attractive garnish or even add color to a salad.

To see more blooms, harvests and gardens, visit these sites:
The Gardening Blog
May Dreams Gardens
A Southern Daydreamer
Tootsie Time
Sidewalk Shoes - Garden Tuesday
Digging - Foliage Follow-Up

June Blooms, Bugs and Butterflies

My kitchen garden and vegetable garden aren't in full bloom or production yet, but what is in bloom is frequently visited by a host of pollinators...

Ruta graveolens 'Rue' ~ Common Tread Waisted Wasp

Buddleja 'Butterfly Bush' ~ Great Spangled Fritillary and Snowberry Clearwing

Echinacea purpurea 'Purple Coneflower' ~ Two fritillaries sharing a nectar sip.

Caryopteris 'Bluebeard' ~ This small shrub will bloom on into September and is a butterfly (and bee) magnet.

         Marigolds ~ European Cabbage White

I don't have any cabbage planted this year, but the broccoli (which is part of the cabbage family 'Brassicaceae') has become the host plant for the larva of this butterfly. The leaves might look unattractive, but the broccoli is delicious!

Mints ~ Flies

Perhaps a cluster fly or a horse fly...  I don't care for either, but they are pollinators all the same.

For more photos of June blooms, visit May Dreams Gardens.