Sunflowers-warm memories on a cold day...

Dwarf Sunflower 'Junior'

I think the best part about winter is winter is dreaming of spring--planning and plotting the vegetable garden, browsing gardening magazines and seed catalogs, and sorting through my photos of the last season.  Just the thought of sunflowers evokes happiness, memories of summertime and feelings of warmth..

A few years ago I planted sunflowers in my flower garden with the intention of adding color, height and a source of food for the birds.   I envisioned coming home after work, driving down my driveway and their sunny faces welcoming me.  Well, that didn't happen, I failed to remember that the blooms face the east and since my butterfly garden is east of my driveway, they were "standing with their backs toward me," so to speak..

Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis)

My favorite annual is a dwarf variety 'Junior' that only grows to a height of
2 feet--I plant it on the right (correct) side of the road, in the front row of my vegetable garden.  This not only cheers-up this space, it causes your eyes to focus on their colorful faces instead of my stessed, worn-out tomatoes!

American Goldfinch

Flore Pleno (Helianthus multiflorus)

A few years back I thought the only variety of sunflowers were the multiple choices of seed packets at the local hardware store. I had no idea that the tall yellow wildflowers I saw along the roadside were a perennial native sunflower.  Unlike the large-seeded faces of the most known annual, these native perennials have more of a small daisy-like bloom.

At my first Master Gardener plant sale, I bought a native perennial called Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius).  What I enjoy most about this variety is that it's a late bloomer.  Just about the time the summer heat has taken it's toll on the garden, these flowers stand tall with multiple small yellow flowers.  As it's name suggest, this sunflower prefers moist, sandy soil.  I have it next to my outside water/well hydrant and it seems that I always have some sort of hose or connection leak in need of repair, so as you can imagine it thrives in this location!

Since then I've added--Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis), Flore Pleno (Helianthus multiflorus), and False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)  The "False Sunflower" is actually not a sunflower, but it's appearance, behavior--name-- are similar to the real thing and I include it in my collection..  I purchased all of my my perennial sunflowers at the annual Master Gardener plant sale for a fraction of the cost that I would have paid at a nursery or greenhouse.

False sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Something I've learned about native plants--they are so well-suited, adapted, acclimated to our soil...they're invasive.  These native sunflowers are no different, they need an area all to their own or they have to be thinned out each year.

I know I'll always plant the traditional annual sunflowers, they're such a reliable, cheerful addition to my gardens and I'm glad I've discovered the hardy native perennial...

Just looking at my photos of the past season reminds me that sunny days will soon return!

To learn about additional great plants, visit Appalachian Feet on the 3rd of each month...

2010--The year of the chickens...

 Yes, we put light on the coop this year... I think it looks pretty festive and I'm sure the chicks are appreciative!

I've started thinking about my New Year's goals/resolutions-gardening related-for 2011... At least things that I want to get accomplished before spring-because once it's warm outside then that's where I'll be--outside!

*Plot my gardens:  I have all the plant markers from previous purchased annuals, perennials....  I need to sort through them and either make some kind of a scrap book or an online plot of my gardens...  I would like to be able to link the plants within the blueprint to photos I have taken and info on the plant..and I don't want to pay for any program to do this..  Any ideas are welcomed!

*Volunteer to host my gardens for the spring Master Gardener member tour.  I used to be intimidated by the thought of much more experienced gardeners critiquing my simple set-up, but after attending a couple of the tours I realized that most gardeners do not hire someone else to do the dirty work.  We would rather do it ourselves...Most members have gardens where they planted every seed or start, shoveled out every bed, construced every raised bed and they're proud of their accomplishments.  I know that I would rather tour a homemade garden than one that is perfect and professionally landscaped.  Agreeing to host my gardens will also jump start my motivation to get all the spring cleaning, planting, mulching, sprucing-up that needs to be done!

* Incorporate a kitchen garden theme into my vegetable garden, either by a potager design or just adding more flowers or perennials within the vegetables. I want to add more structure--maybe a trellis or arbor and more color throughout the season--either with flowers or ornamentals.

*Start a booth at the Farmer's Market to sell the living roof birdhouses/feeders and living wreaths that we started making last season.  I devoted a large bed to a variety of sedums and succulents so I should have plenty of starts for this project. I am a little concerned about how much time out of my schedule this will take--I work full time, I'm a mom, etc...  My oldest will be starting college and Grace, my youngest, would be the perfect sales-girl!

* Continue to volunteer at Master Gardener Xeriscape and to begin volunteering at the Dr. Bill Roston Native Butterfly House in Springfield.

*Give the chickens some jobs!  I think a portable chicken tractor is next on the husbands construction list.. Then I would be able to allow the chicks to have a little free range time with the added benefit of eating weeds, bugs--giving me free fertilizer at the same time!  I also want to add a few more hens to the flock.  I should have started out with more, but I had no idea how easy and enjoyable raising chickens would be!

*Honey Bees! Jeff has hinted that he wants to pursue bee keeping and I'm trying to contain my enthusiasm for this venture. I am thrilled--I would love to give honey as Christmas gifts next year!  If I act too excited over this prospect though, he might be concerned that I'll make 2011--The year of the bees!

Merry Christmas and have a Blessed New Year!

View my chicken-blog at communitychickens.com

The Monarch--in a class by itself...

I know I'm not the first to be intrigued or in awe of the Monarch.  Just the whole process of metamorphosis - in any butterfly - is a remarkable and a hard concept to grasp.  But the Monarch should be in a class of its own - its lifespan, strength, instincts and beauty set it apart from all the rest.

The Monarch is the only insect that migrates south and hibernates. Each year / season, four generations are born.  The first three generations live about two to four weeks, but the 4th generation migrates to warmer climates in Mexico and California and then returns to North America in the spring, living a total of six to eight months and traveling close to 2500 miles!  Nova had an interesting, informative film, The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies, which details the life-cycle and migration of the monarch - worth watching! It's definitely on my "bucket-list" to some day view the millions (more than 150 million!) of Monarchs hibernating on the Oyamel fir trees in the mountains of central Mexico.

When I first began butterfly gardening, I had no idea how unique the Monarch was... I wanted to include host plants for many of the native Missouri butterflies in my garden, and milkweed, the food source of the monarch larva, was on my list of essential/must-have plants for my garden.   As a side note - eight years ago I had some difficulty finding milkweed locally to purchase. It's almost impossible to transplant our native milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, - it has a long tap-root and it's late to emerge in the spring which also adds to the problem of being able to identify it before it's too established to dig up and move to another location. I have noticed in the last few years, probably due to the fact of an increased interest and popularity of butterfly gardening, that milkweed is much more available.

It was the second year after I planted the milkweed before I had my first caterpillar, the next year I had several. I've read that the off-spring of the previous year's generations will return to the same milkweed each year. I've also observed that I have had a chrysalis in the same location each year.- In precisely the exact spot: under a garden bench, on a certain branch of golden rod or garden phlox, under the bird bath. This just amazes me - not only does their genetic make-up instinctively direct them across the continent back to my garden, it's passed through their DNA where their ancestors spun their chrysalis!

My garden, in addition to the Master Gardener Xeriscape, are certified Monarch Waystations through Monarch Watch - an organization dedicated to creating, conserving and protecting milkweed/monarch habitats.

Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers these fall migratory monarch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico. The need for host plants for larvae and energy sources for adults applies to all monarch and butterfly populations around the world....Monarch Watch

I've tried to share my admiration and fascination of the Monarch with others - especially children.  It's an easy insect to raise or rear indoors, watch the phases of metamorphosis and then release it to continue its incredible,amazing journey...

Photos of the Gardens at the Botanical Center...

Springfield has finally opened the new Botanical Center!  It's now the home for the offices of the Extension Center, the Master Garden hotline and the Friends of the Garden organization.  


The developers of the center's website decided that the  fans/enthusiasts...which I am...have photo galleries of the different gardens throughout the park.  Now I have an excuse to go to the Center and take photos!  


Rebecca's Photo Galleries...