Plant Native Perennial Wildflowers for Long Lived Beauty in the Garden

The toughest, longest lasting perennials in our garden are native wildflowers. When placed properly, I don’t think I exaggerate in predicting they will be with me for a lifetime.  Many of my favorites are early spring woodland wildflowers such as bloodroot, trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, green dragon, mayapple, columbine and woodland phlox. These are mostly dormant now, but watch for them in woodland gardens and in the wild next year. Trillium starts the show, emerging in December, and Indian pink gives the finale in April.

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Georges

Indian pink’s bright red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and each plant matures to two feet tall by three feet wide. It is mild mannered, spreading nicely by seed as long as it is not mulched heavily.

For the sunny garden, plant purple coneflower. Its large pink daisy-like blossoms on three to four foot stems are striking in late spring and early summer and attract both bees and butterflies. We planted one purple coneflower in our front yard garden nearly 20 years ago and now have a multitude of plants. They multiply by clumping as well as from seed. The flowers cut nicely for use in arrangements. One cultivar that has performed well in our butterfly garden is ‘Kim’s Knee High’. This coneflower is shorter (knee high) and blooms for a longer season.

Another stellar native perennial for a sunny spot is oxeye sunflower, also known as Heliopsis. This plant, with abundant sunny yellow flowers, starts blooming in early spring and blooms into fall. It is bushy but only gets to 21/2 feet tall. Heliopsis attracts lots of pollinating insects.

I also recommend dwarf ironweed and narrowleaf sunflower for their value as pollinator plants and for their toughness and vivid colors. However, both spread aggressively and form large masses so are best used on larger properties or where you would like a mass of purple or yellow. Ironweed blooms mostly in the summer while the sunflower is at its peak in autumn.

All of the native perennials in this article have performed well for me. You may have to experiment to find the right ones for your yard.  Most perennials do best in soil that is well drained and rich in organic matter. Mix in abundant mushroom compost or homemade compost to the soil prior to planting. Healthy soil pays dividends in the vigor of plants and in the ease of maintenance of the garden. Match the plants to the soil and light conditions in your yard.

These are just a few of the many native perennials that grace our yard. I am committed to trying new ones as well. This year I planted twinflower in our butterfly garden. It is low growing with violet flowers and is a larval food plant for buckeye butterflies. We have had a few caterpillars already! I’ll be able to comment on its longevity in a few years…….

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

4 lbs. heirloom tomatoes, sliced seeded and chopped
1 bulb fennel
1 lb carrots
1 lb onions
4 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 qt liquid vegetable stock
bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary, sage, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 small head of garlic halved)
salt & pepper to taste
2-4oz heavy cream (optional)
sprig of basil for garnish
 

Method:

1. Begin by braising the fennel, carrots, and onion in the extra virgin olive oil - this process can take 15 minutes or 2 hours depending on how much flavor you want to extract from the vegetables.

2. Once you are satisfied with the color, texture and aroma from the vegetables, add the bouquet garni and the tomatoes. Combine well, adjust the consistency of the soup with half of the stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Puree the mixture in a blender and pass through a mesh strainer make it smoother, if desired.

4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want a more luxurious soup, add a small amount of heavy cream to the finished soup and a sprig or two of basil. 

Safe Solutions - Mosquito Barrier Will Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard!

You do not have to let mosquitoes chase you, your children and your pets out of your yard this summer. We sell a wonderful product called Mosquito Barrier that will keep the mosquitoes out. At first glance, it seems a bit pricy; but it’s a concentrate and a one quart bottle covers 1.25 acres. We also carry it in gallons. Still, if you’re on a budget like I am, you can stretch the product by using it only where you spend most of your time. I have used Mosquito Barrier around my back deck and from my front door to where I park my car (pretty much right in front of my front door – I live in a townhouse). That way I’m covered most of the time and a one quart bottle lasts me two to three months.

You may notice a strange phenomenon if you treat a small area like I do. When you approach the edge of that area, you may see mosquitoes swarming. Although you’re standing only a few feet from them, they will not approach you. It’s a little surreal . . . like there’s an invisible wall between you and the little blood suckers. They really will not approach you unless you step outside the treated area. Unfortunately if you do so, they will stay with you when you walk back into the treated area. When this happens, you’ll have to kill those pests that come into the area with you. Once you do, you’re mosquito-free again.

One application lasts for two to three weeks and will even continue to work after rainy weather (if it has time to dry thoroughly after application). The directions say you can use a pump or a hose-end sprayer, but we recommend you go with a pump sprayer. Oh . . . and be prepared . . . your yard will smell like an Italian restaurant for hours (or even days) after application.