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When my husband and I built the pond in our back yard last year we added a small bog garden on the side of it. The Spotted Joe-Pye Weed or Eupatorium maculatum, a native plant in North America. It seems to be doing very well in the garden at about 4ft tall. The leaves form from the stem in a whorled pattern and the blooms are a soft pink that appear slightly fuzzy. This plant prefers its roots in moist soil but has been known to adapt to a drier soil. This one had the added bonus of having the Monarch butterfly visit it yesterday. |
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The Swamp Milkweed or Asclepias incarnata is another native that we grow in the bog garden. We have two plants of this one. They look like they will take over the small bog garden in the next few years. They are grow to 4 ft and ours are that now in full sun and in moist soil. It has lovely deep pink flowers that have a fragrance of vanilla. Yesterday when I was out taking photos this one had a yellow jacket on it. Didn't want to get too close with the macro lens. |
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Cardinal Flower or Lobelia cardinalis is a new addition to the bog garden this year. I purchased it at the North American Native Plant Society's plant sale in the spring. I thought it was toast when the first week it was planted the roaming ground hog came along and took the top off it. Thankfully, it was tough and it came back strong with many branches and all of them have buds on them. This one is just teasing us with its soon to be red colour. This plant will attract hummingbirds. Have to wait and see. |
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Boneset or Eupatorium perfoliatum is the last one in the bog garden I will show today. This plant was purchased at the NANPS plant sale in the spring. It is growing beside the Joe Pye Weed and is just as tall. The bloom has not fully opened but will be a large cluster of white flowers. This plant also attracts butterflies.  Black-Eyed Susan or redbeckia hirta is a bright pop of colour in the garden at this time of the year. It thrives in harsh conditions and that is good in this sandy soil. It is also drought tolerant which is another bonus. This plant reseeds its self and I am happy with that. A no brainer in the prairie or cottage garden design.. |
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| And finally, the plant my husband is very fond of. It is the Turk's Cap Lily or Lilium superbum, a tall plant that has a huge flower that is orange and spotted. In my wildflowers book it says that this plant likes a moist site. Mine are growing in the dry amended sand. The only draw back to this one is the dreaded lily beetle is attracted to this plant. Just yesterday when I took this photo I squished one. I hope you enjoyed this little visit with the native plants I have blooming at this moment. Please join Clay and Limestone for more native plants grown in many locals. Maybe you will find one for your garden. Valerie |
15 comments:
Valerie, Oh my~such beautiful wildflowers~The Joe-Pye with monarch butterfly is perfect and I am So glad I could enlarge it to see what a great photo it is! So wish I could grow more moisture loving wildflowers~I will have to be content to see them on blogs like yours...The Turks Cap is one I've set my sights on! Gail
Hi Val, It must be exicting to watch the insects at the plants that want their feet wet. The Joe Pye weed looks beautiful. Take care, Jen
Such lovely wildflowers in the garden Valerie. I've also posted about rudbekia this morning.
We've got similar "soil" (if you can call it that:) but a different climate. Still, we can grow the same flowers I see in your post, most of them anyway. I've never tried boneset before. It sounds like a medicinal kind of plant.
So do you squish the beetles with your bare hands? I used to be such a wimp when it came to squashing bugs but now I just get so mad I do it bare-handed.
Your Turk's cap are gorgeous, despite the lily beetles feasting.
Hi Valerie, Wowser on the monarch on the Joe Pye! That is definitely a bonus. All your wildflowers are wonderful and even better they are native-that shows forethought and is most smart. Wish I'd done it that way.
Glad to see a close up of boneset. I see it growing along the roads here in Maine, but not in any yard or garden I visit. It must be a good year for JoePye, I saw some in Cape Elizabeth, (maine) this weekend over 12 feet tall.
Hi Val
With all the construction here I see Joe Pye being destroyed along the 8th line. I originally bought mine but I'm thinking of digging some up to save it.
I enjoyed all your flowers today.
Judith
I can think of no better promotion for Joe Pye weed than a Monarch butterfly on it--great photo! I planted a Joe Pye last year, and it has really lived up to expectations this year. Rudbeckias are another favorite of mine--they certainly reseeded themselves this year. The Turk's cap lily is lovely! How fun to have a bog garden; I had one briefly earlier this season, only because we had so much rain:)
I like the Turk,s Cap. Thanks for showing so many Canadian natives, which have become garden flowers.
Valerie you have such lovely natives in your garden. I have a really boggy area of the garden where so many things have died over the years - since blogging I've now learn't that its native plants that I need to grow here.
My neighbour was growing Joe Pye or something similar one year - once the stems got to 7 feet and still no sign of buds she dug it out as it was just too tall for her. Now if I could get one to stay at 6 feet I would have just the perfect spot for it.
What wonderful natives you have growing in your gardens! You have many of my favorites. I think your cardinal flowers will bring the hummers for sure once they start blooming. They seem to be blooms that hummers can't resist.
Beautiful flowers! I was not familiar with most of them! Thanks for sharing! I hope you are having a great week!...hugs...Debbie
Wonderful information, and gorgeous flowers! I like the Spotted Joe-Pye Weed!
Love all the suggestions for a bog garden! Too bad I'm leaving my present garden with a bog area..but perhaps I'll pass along the suggestions to "new lady" of this house. I may try the Joe Pye in my woodland garden...any plant that attracts the monarachs I love!!
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