Surprise! I purchased seeds last year online for this "Green Twister Coneflower". After planting the entire packet of seeds, I only had one seedling survive. It was quite expensive if I remember correctly. I marked where I planted it in the butterfly garden last fall, and to my surprise, I found this flower opened this week. It is such a lovely variety of coneflower, and I am so pleased to see it survived our harsh winter.
All the Stocks I grew are just now flowering, but for my preference, they are not showy enough and kind of straggly.
I'm pleased with the Larkspur seedlings that I started in the greenhouse this spring. They have been blooming nicely for over two weeks now, and I will be growing them again for next season.
I mentioned the garden by the street; this is where the blue Salvia thrives too. It self-seeds each year so I finally stop growing it every year in the greenhouse. This is by far the honeybee's favorite plant, and they flower into late summer which is perfect for them.
Behind the Salvia, this red Daylily has become a nice size and has pretty blossoms right now. The neighbors that walk by this garden always comment on how pretty it is. Funny, it is the garden that gets the least amount of attention and yet does well on its own.
The yellow Stella D'Oro daylilies are finally coming back after the deer ate them to the ground as soon as they came up.
I have this daylily in the west garden that borders the entire front lawn. It is such a nice colorful addition to the varieties I have.
Int the front of the house is my absolute favorite one of them all. It blooms for weeks on end and is so colorful along the sidewalk. Plus, it is a nice compliment to the purple Phlox growing right next to it.
I have divided this Phlox over the years and now have it in four of my gardens surrounding the house. I adore the sweet aroma of this summer flower, and the bees love it too.
The new Clematis I purchased in the spring is still blooming and climbing on the bird post in the butterfly garden. I imagine next summer it will more than double in size.
This variety of Shasta Daisy is the last to bud out and it is in full flower this week as well.
I snapped this photo soon after the solar lights lit up and just when the fireflies were starting to emerge from the lawn.
These Shasta Daisies have already finished for the season, and I cut them all back earlier in the week. Maybe now I will be able to see the other flowers that are growing taller, like the Zinnias.
The Black-Eyed Susan's are taking over one end of the garden and I'm probably going to have to thin them out after they flower. I can replant them in the garden out by the road and let them colonize there. They don't require watering like the rest of the plants in this garden, therefore will survive my neglect out there.
The Blue Star Flowers are also behind the daisies and were hidden as well.
This is the only Monkshood plant that has managed to come back over the years. I used to have purple ones too, but this lonely plant is all that remains. I should find some new plants to add to this butterfly garden that will be perennials. This way I won't have to start so many annual seeds each year.
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This garden would not be the same if I stopped growing Zinnia's every year for the butterflies. These flowers can get 4' tall and they are by far the best flowers to have for blossoms all summer long.
They are my favorite annual to grow, and the butterfly garden faces my back porch offering me the opportunity to enjoy them every single day. So far, I've seen one Monarch, Yellow Swallowtail, and yesterday my first sighting of a Black Swallowtail which actually flew right up onto the porch while I was relaxing. It doesn't get any better than that for me.
Happy Gardening Everyone!
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