I love Cowpen Daisies. Given a lot of sunshine and neglect, they bloom endlessly all summer long and attract every bee and butterfly around. They do tend to get big and cumbersome, when given a lot of sunshine, so be prepared to give them a lot of room in the flowerbed.
Anna, I am jealous of your Veronica. I love Veronica, but mine just didn't perform very well this summer. I think I underwatered them during the heat. Oh well, maybe next year.
Carla
Fall Blooms
I think all my Veronicas died this summer. Will see if any spring back in the spring.
I had this one in my well attended bed with the best soil.The one in too much shade is gone and there is another that struggled but is still around.This was the first year parts of it got brown and died.
Could be a victim of the excessive rain we have had this fall.
A view from the tip of the bed looking out to the street.
This volunteer May Night Salvia just started blooming.
Then this little rudbeckia (that I thought died this spring from the snail attack) is starting to bloom. I got this from Sheila at the fall RU last year in Arlington.
Wow Stephanie! That bed is beautiful right now. :)
Beautiful combination. Love all the color.
I bet it brightens up the day for everyone that passes it! Well done indeed!
Love your flowerbed stephanietx! It's sure is nice to see these flowers blooming for the second time this year. All the pollinators are probably enjoying your garden too!
The Queen BFs were out yesterday with the Monarchs all nectaring on the W TX Mistflower.
Anyone wanting to know a butterfly attracting plant, I would put this one high on the list.
The Fall Asters were just a few feet away looking pretty.
How nice Sheila_FW! And beautiful butterflies too.
I have a question, how do you recognize the Monarch Queen BF?
The Queen butterfly mimics the Monarch butterflies but there are differences. Both species feed on the Milkweed species also. The males also have the black spots on the lower wings on both. The lower wing of the queens are void of the black cells and have the sprinkling of white dots. Here is a link to see pics of both butterflies. The caterpillars are a lot alike, but the Queen has three sets of "feelers", where the Monarch only has two. I posted a pic of the Queen caterpillar since the link doesn't show one.
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-group-page.asp?gr=Danainae
This message was edited Oct 30, 2009 8:59 AM
that is something! Thank you. ^_^
and thank you for the link, Sheila. The Monarch is a beautiful butterfly.
My garden basil has been my biggest butterfly and bee attractor this year!! LOL
In fall, Mexican Marigold Mint blooms!
And another chance for Maypop, Passiflora incarnata.
Poor confused plants, they may not understand it's fall. A single blossom on Natchez Mock Orange.
Is Maypop fully winter hardy in 8A? Also what is the bloom time. I bought a couple to try but have never grown any type of passion vine before.
Cheryl
Yes, it's quite hardy! End of October is an unusual time for its blooms, but it's an odd year. Usually May to July is most common, as far as I've seen, but sometimes fall also. This is what the Wildflower Center says:
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PAIN6
My purple Lantana is looking lovely today.
L
Love purple and yellow combo
Great yellow/purple combo! The mums are looking pretty good, too.
Bee on Cowpen Daisy flower
Some unknown butterfly/moth and a bee on the mealy blue sage.
Cluster of Toad Lilies
This little Rudbeckia is almost fully opened. I've waited all spring and summer to see this guy bloom!
Blue Bedder Sage
How pretty Stephanietx! It's just like springtime over at your place! Those Toad Lilies are really nice.
Callicarpa Americana as far as the eye can see!!
Dogwood with berries in autumn.
Neat, wild! I've never seen a dogwood with berries on it, just when they're in bloom.
Nice fall colors everyone.
Steph...that is a Painted Lady, and a very pretty one.
Thank you, Sheila! She was very busy in the flower bed this morning, visiting all the flowers!
My Meyer lemon is blooming and I also have a leopard plant that is getting ready to bloom. I didn't know they had flowers as I bought it three years ago because I loved it's foliage after a trip to the April shindig at the Dallas arboretum . Doesn't look like the bloom is going to be too spectacular though!
My Trailing (purple) Lantana is blooming like crazy right now. And has attracted what I thought was a noctural nectering insect?? What is a hummingbird moth doing out at 10:00 in the morning?
Carla
Hey Carla,
That is one of the clearwing moths I think. Maybe this one?
http://bugguide.net/node/view/2639
The different species often referred to as hummingbird moths seem to prefer daylight!
I have seen them in the garden during the day too.
Cheryl