August Natives for Wildflower Wednesday

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica  is the first wildflower I want to share with you today.  This is its first year in the bog garden.  It has just started blooming and will form a spike of blue flowers with deep green leaves. This plant is perfect for the bog garden as it likes moist soil.  It will grow in sun or partial shade.

Little Blue Stem, Andropogon scoparius is looking just great out in the garden along side its big brother Big Bluestem. This grass is grown for late season interest and warm rich colouring.  This is a clumping grass that does not travel by rhizome.  In the fall it turns from green to bronzy orange.  Grows in average well drained soil in sun.

The shrub Potentilla fruiticosa is just glorious with its bright yellow flowers.  This is a tough little shrub good to a zone 2.  I have seen them up north just clinging to rock  and blooming away.   Is not fussy for soil and likes the sun.  It is heat tolerant.

Second year vine to the garden is Virgin's Bower, Clematis virginiana is in the family of the buttercup.  It has a reputation as an aggressive vine but so far it has not been in the garden.  I have had to tie it up as it climbs on the arbour though.  In the wild it grows over anything it comes in contact with.  This plant may be a problem for people that have sensitive skin.  I just think the tiny little white star shape blooms are so interesting.

Here isLittleBlue Stem's big brother Big Blue Stem, Andropogon gerardii.  It grows very tall at perhaps 8-10ft. At the moment it is leaning after all the rain we had last weekend. This grass is also a clump forming plant.  It has a blue cast to the foliage in the fall.   A moisture rich soil is recommended by it does not get that here in my sandy soil and I have seen them in the conservation area in dry soil doing just great.  This grass attracts birds and butterflies to lay their eggs.  A great specimen plant in the garden.

Last Wildflower Wednesday I showed you Boneset, Eupatorium perfoliatum. At that time it had not fully bloomed.  It has been blooming since July and does not look like it is finished yet.  It grows in the bog garden with Joe Pye Weed and Swamp Milk Weed, Cardinal Flower, Great Blue Lobelia and Ironweed.   It does require a moist environment.

I hope that you have enjoyed a small look at the wildflowers that are blooming in August.  For more great ideas for your wildflower garden join Gail at Clay and Limestone  for Wildflower Wednesday.

Bloomin Natives for Wildflower Wednesday

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.

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.

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.

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..

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