Tag Archives: black-eyed susan

Summer

July 14, 2015 P&B 2 Comments

Bright And Sunny

Summer is finally here and the temperature is making the point so far. We had a very cool spring which was very good for the roses and many other cool loving plants. Tomato, chili pepper and basil think otherwise. My basil are only a couple of inches tall and the chili peppers are taking their sweet time to grow. But I’m not complaining. I deal with whatever nature throws my way. It just seemed like ‘early’ spring weather lasted too long this year.

It doesn’t matter what the official summer date is, my summer is here when the Black-eyed Susan and Echinacea bloom. They brighten up the garden like little sunflowers. We have more flowers this year as a result of putting up the deer net around our property. We are really happy that the net works so well. Rabbits still nibble plants here and there but they stay in the lawn most of the time.

The Black-eyed susan are all self-sown. I don’t remember when I bought them last time, probably ages ago. I just let them grow and move them when they get too crowded. It results in many shades and markings on the flowers.

Another Black-eyed susan with brown radiant

I let the Echinacea set seed as well. Birds love them and they are a good food source in winter. Seeds that the birds dropped sprouted. I don’t mind at all since they are slightly fragrant and the bees love them.

I bought many other Echinacea in various colors and shapes but they have to be propagated by division. Here are some of them.

I don't remember the name of this one but it seems each nursery gives it a different name — I don’t remember the name of this one but it seems each nursery gives it a different name

Flowers

Dependable Summer Plants

August 5, 2014 P&B 4 Comments

And They Don’t Require Much Care

The heat and humidity are here. In mid-summer heat I do my garden chores from shade to shade, trying to stay away from the sun. The lovely times in the garden in mid summer are the morning and early evening. The cool of the morning makes the mixed flower scents very pronounced, especially the Garden phlox and jasmine. It’s very soothing. I water the vegetable garden and the potted tropical plants every morning when it’s still cool. Water evaporates less and will dry up in the sunlight soon enough as not to encourage any disease. The sweet scent of Bitter melon fills the vegetable garden air now. The second flush of roses also adds fragrance to the air though not as strong as in early summer when the majority of bushes were filled with flowers. Even when I don’t have to water them, I still go out in the garden every morning just to breathe the scent that no perfumery can duplicate. I do the same in the evening when I get home from work.

I hardly water the flowers in the garden now but they are still doing well in the heat. Most of them are self-sown and I let them grow freely. Once in a while I either move or thin some of them to prevent diseases due to over-crowding. The plants posted below are care free, self-reliant, great for pollinators and dependable in bringing colors to the garden in the heat of summer.

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is actually an herb. I grow this for the bees but it’s also good for making tea and potpourri as well. I have a few patches of them, two by the vegetable garden entrance that a send out licorice scent every time I brush against them.

This double Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is a product of open pollination. I’ve never bought any double flower version but I let the seedlings grow and this is the result. Some of them look even more like chrysanthemums with smaller petals.

Many people regard Queen Anne’s lace (Anthriscus sylvestris) as a weed but I love them. When they grow in a row or large clump, they look so beautiful and delicate. They are also great for insects and bees.

Beekeeping, Flowers, Perennials

Flowers For Bees (Continued)

September 2, 2013 P&B 2 Comments

Summer Flowers

Summer flowers in our garden are easy to grow and most of them are drought tolerant. Having a full time job I have to be practical about what I plant in the garden. I water the vegetable garden regularly since most of the vegetables don’t do well without constant care. The opposite goes for the rest of the garden. Most of them are doing fine being left alone. I weed, prune and feed them when I have time.

So, summer flowers for bees are the ones that will bloom even when neglected. Here’s some of what I grow..

This lady goes from flower to flower, non-stop

Black-eyed susan ‘Gold Sturm’ (Rudbeckia fulgida var sullivantii ‘Gold sturm’) helps brighten up the garden even when everything else wilts. Bees and butterflies love them. The seed buds become finch food. It is also much more compact and mildew resistant than other varieties.

I need air traffic control on the Butterfly bush

Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) lives up to its name; it draws butterflies in like moths to a light. It has a lovely sweet fragrance. The down side is that it’s very invasive if you let the flowers set seeds.

Honey bee and bumblebee sharing nectar on an Echinacea

I should have classified Echinacea under herbs since it has herbal properties. This one is a native that will grow wherever the seeds drop. The birds also like the seeds.

A good day for this honey bee since no wasps are not around yet

Well, a lot of people see this Goldenrod (Solidago) as a weed but I found the bright yellow flowers really beautiful. It can take care of itself even along side the road where nothing else would grow.

Summersweet ranks right up there with the Butterfly bush

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is another flower that lives up to its name. The fragrance is sweet to the point of intoxication when enough of them bloom at the same time. The white one above is called ‘Vanilla spice’ the pink one below is ‘ Ruby spice’.

Here, they're sharing again. — Here, they’re sharing again.

I grouped a variety of zinnia together this year and they came out really nice. I also planted them where they can get full sun all day long. That helps the flowers to stay longer and suffer far less mildew on the leaves.

Petals and Wings