9/06/2021
7/19/2021
9/01/2020
monarch on vervain
The Blue Vervain blossoms have mostly gone to seed. In the buffer around the pond, they've been blooming since mid-July. The flowers of Verbena hastata open one by one from the bottom of spikes held on the crown of the plant. This Monarch butterfly looked for nectar in the few remaining flowers at the top of the spike. Along with butterflies, bees and other insects visit Vervain. Now, the seeds will be food for birds like Cardinals, Sparrows, and Juncos.
8/29/2020
sneezeweed
Growing from 2 to 6 feet high on angular winged stems, Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale is blooming on all sides of the pond.
The flowers are showy, golden yellow with a domed center. These late-summer plants will feed butterflies and unfold their blooms until winter comes.
The common name 'Sneezeweed' came about because the pollen, when inhaled, causes sneezing. In the past, the powdered flower heads were used in medicine to cause violent sneezing as treatment.
8/25/2020
goldenrod
To complement all the blue and purple flowers around the pond this week, the Goldenrod has unfurled its blooms. Solidago species, commonly called Goldenrods, are in a genus of more than 100 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae.
Goldenrods are often blamed for allergies, but they have sticky pollen and rely on insects to move most of it. The wind borne pollen of ragweeds and pigweeds are to blame for 'hay fever' in late summer.
These plants are habitat for a large number of insect species. Blooming in late summer, they are a critical nectar source for many bees, butterflies, and moths to fortify themselves before freezing weather comes.
8/21/2020
ironweed
The tall, stately plants topped by brilliant purple flowers -- blooming now by the pond -- are Common Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata. Each 5- or 6-foot tall plant has a purple-green stem, dark green toothed leaves along the stem, and clusters of flowers at the top. Clusters are made up of many flower heads, each about 3/4” across. After the flowers open and mature, each becomes a fruit that is composed of a dry seed with a tuft of coppery brown hair.
This is a host plant for the 'American Painted Lady' butterfly and also has value to native bees.
Ironweed got its common name because of several qualities: tough straight stems like iron rods, fading purple flowers become rusty-tinged, and seeds are colored like rust.
Ironweed is one of about 500 species of perennial plants constituting the genus Vernonia of the family Asteraceae; it's species are distributed throughout the world.
8/18/2020
blue lobelia
A mid-height plant with tall columns of flowers, Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica stands out from the green grasses and foliage in several places around the pond.
This Lobelia started blooming in late July. Its native wildflowers will continue showing clear blue blooms through the autumn as the individual flowers open starting at the bottom of each column.
It attracts butterflies, and provides a color contrast to the gold and yellows of other late summer blooms.
8/06/2020
Monarch butterfly caterpillars
7/25/2020
butterfly
7/16/2020
Ironweed ready to bloom
In the photo below, you can see the upper 12 inches of a six-foot tall specimen with flower buds.
7/07/2020
swamp milkweed blooming
Last summer, a few Milkweed plants were blooming on the wetland surrounding the pond.
This is Swamp
Milkweed Asclepias incarnata; it thrives in wet soil, and we encourage it here for the pollinators who thrive on the flowers' nectar.
It usually blooms pink, on two foot tall stems. There are some white blooms also.
This fall, we will try to coax the seeds of these plants to sprout new plants for more blooms in future seasons.
8/13/2018
nectar
Monarchs are finding the
Joe Pye Weed and milkweed plants in the yard.
This one even found the sweet nectar in the hummingbird feeder.
10/02/2017
migrating painted ladies
The garden was aflutter last week with Painted Lady butterflies Vanessa cardui. They were obsessed with the blossoms of Brazilian Vervain Verbena bonariensis. Fortunately, the lavender blooms are abundant this year, probably self-seeded from last year's single pot of the plant. I was beginning to think I had too many of the tall strong stems topped with airy umbrellas of tiny flowers. Now, glad they invited the ladies to stop for refueling on their way south!
2/18/2017
swallowtail
This beauty was in my studio this morning!
I collect plant specimens in the autumn and keep them to draw or paint indoors during the cold months. I recall pulling this chrysalis off the deck umbrella a few months ago, and placed it among the interesting things in my art room.