Pollinator Plants

The big news of the year is that my milkweed plants multiplied and grew really tall.

They flowered briefly in the springtime, the blossoms smelled so good.

Now there are large milkweed pods. Yesterday I saw a monarch butterfly in the garden, she came twice. I hope she lays some eggs on the milkweed.

I had bergomot from seeds I planted last year. The bees were realy into its flowers, but they didn't last and I deadheaded them in the hopes that they will come back in the fall

I think this is prairie clover, also from last year's seeds. The flowers lasted a long time and the bees were very happy. They are finally dying out and I think the bees are hungry. It has been so hot, the flowers are suffering. Only the weeds are truly happy.

My bachelor buttons are all droopy like this. A lot of the seedlings died in the heat. But the survivors are still blooming even if the flowers sag.

This was when the sunflowers were strong and numerous.

They have also faded and the new flowers are much smaller.

The rudebekia in its prime.

My purple coneflower has decided to stay green, now the rudebekia flowers are coming back green as well. It has been really hard on the flowers. I have cosmos and zinnias coming up, but they are not flowering yet. I have to see if I can find a pot of lavender with full flowers to keep the bees happy until the other flowers recover.

For next season, I am hoping to start flowers in planters a little earlier in the season. This year I waited a little too long to see which seeds would come back from last season. I was misled by a very promising looking plant that turned out to be a weed and spread all over. I know it now and I will be fiercer next season. I am more familiar with the flower seedlings now.