we have a few like that. Now I know what it called!!
Native Gardening
- Thread starter JBtheExplorer
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They are all over the flowers here.
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
I've had a lot on my Purple Coneflowers the past few days.
Here's a male and female (black-form) Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, both in my garden a few minutes ago.
Here's a male and female (black-form) Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, both in my garden a few minutes ago.
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Very nice. Awesome clicks and blossoms!
morewater
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Coneflowers are great. Even better is that there are now 7 or 8 different colors available (often on the same stem).
Love the Butterfly Bush as well.
Great photos, all.
Love the Butterfly Bush as well.
Great photos, all.
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
For me, it's the day of the first decent snowfall. For you I'd suggest December, but really any time during the end of Fall or Winter.
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Here, anymore, I wait until spring. We have had warm falls, warm winters, the seeds start to germinate then they get smacked with a freeze and all die.
I put out a ton of seed last fall, they all germinated, died during the 27F in april.
Thanks @addy1 and @JBtheExplorer . That's interesting because it told me to put in fall, then i thought how it will survive winter. End of winter make sense. I'll have to stop my itchy fingers from plant them earlier!!!
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
Just as long as they have enough time in cold weather. It's not about the seeds surviving the cold weather, that's not a problem. They actually need the cold weather in order to grow. Some seeds only need a few weeks of it, others need 2-3 months.
By the way, here's my native garden today. Not much color left this time of year, but you can imagine what it'll look like next Summer! The whole left side is brand new this year. The area closest to the camera was added last year, and the area to the right was started two years ago. The garden surrounds my fire pit to make it feel a little like a campsite.
tbendl
T
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Everything is so pretty JB. And you're right, it looks like the perfect spot to pitch a tent. 
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
Adding on another 100-150 sq. ft. to the native garden. The addition is outlined in blue. I may consider making this area the focus of Monarch favorites like Meadow Blazing Star and New England Aster.
morewater
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Ambitious.........love liatris.
Check out the new cultivar of Echinichea........."Cheyenne Spirit".
Check out the new cultivar of Echinichea........."Cheyenne Spirit".
you inspired me to do lots of thing, including this! I just made my new native wild flower bed last weekend (before the storm that washed away my topsoil). I got 6 pack of free seeds for pollinator that i'll put out later this year (they said it's native), will get a box of pollinator plants from Duke Garden (including golden rod and other plants probably not all native, i'll have to check), and some milkweed seeds coming in the mail. I'll plant a bunch of milkweeds. I know that common milkweed can be invasive so i'll have to be careful. I got Marsh blazing star and meadow blazing star and also bee balm too.
The plot is 8x8. I think i'll get lots of butterfly and bees
Any native flowers you recommend?
The plot is 8x8. I think i'll get lots of butterfly and bees
Any native flowers you recommend?
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
8x8 is what I started with, it'll certainly attract butterflies and bees!
I could recommend dozens, but with your 8x8 section here's the best (in my opinion) recommendations that would go great along with your milkweeds and blazing stars to help attract butterflies and bees.
Smooth Oxeye (Helianthus helianthoides) is a good one. It's also called Early Sunflower and False Sunflower. It's one of my favorites and a great nectar source.
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae) is my favorite Autumn blooming-plant. It's a big help to Monarchs on their migration, since it's one of the last nectar sources for them. I saw a group of 5 or 6 Monarchs on one of these when I was hiking just last week.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is one of the best, if not the best, for attracting many species of butterflies.
On a side note, I just found a New England Aster blooming in my own garden. I didn't realize they'd bloom in their first year. A nice surprise, since it'll be the final new blooming specie of 2016.