After the initial three seed heads were unceremoniously chomped by a passing deer several weeks ago, I was holding out hope that the Tragopogon mirus plant I’d found would make more, and a couple of weeks ago I saw I was in luck: two more inflorescences!

I’ve watched carefully, and one of the seed heads disappeared last week, but today I was able to collect these four seeds from the “new native” to send to a botanist on the West side of Oregon to hopefully compare their genetics

How guerrilla gardeners inspired the next generation of activists https://www.allforgardening.com/1391457/how-guerrilla-gardeners-inspired-the-next-generation-of-activists/ #CampusCommunityGarden #ccg #decolonisation #EnvironmentalProtests #environmentalism #FoodNotLawns #garden #gardening #GardeningCanada #growing #GuerillaGardening #Guerrilla #Indigenous #NativePlants #OvergrowUvic #plants #Protests #UniversityOfVictoria #uvic #VictoriaBc

the hummingbird is the undisputed star of my native garden. A tiny, whirring marvel, it hovers like a gemstone, sipping nectar with a grace that's simply mesmerizing. It's a quick, vibrant shot of pure magic that I never get tired of seeing. #birds #nativeplants . Does not hurt to boost these if you love them.

#Bloomscrolling #Flowers #NativePlants #prairie #Iowa

Now blooming in SW Iowa:
Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum).

The “cup” refers to the pairs of clasping leaves that form a cup.

I recently saw a 2nd snake species in our Tucson, AZ yard: a Gopher Snake! Here it is in my Perpetual Journal + a (white!) Queen Butterfly chrysalis & Blue Palo Verde seedpods. Read more on my blog post https://paulaborchardt.substack.com/p/more-sssnake-visssitorsss

Taking a little nap on top of the world (liatris )

I got new plants today. They are cultivars of natives rather than true natives, but I saw they were on a deep sale, and having something "close" is better than nothing. I got a Purple Coneflower and a Rudbeckia.

Plus, I ran into our local extension lady in the lunch line yesterday (how fortuitous!) and she was very encouraging about it. I think that's what really tipped me over the edge on buying these. So yeah. They are cultivars, but since they are from natives originally, I'm hoping they are close enough for the local pollinators. The extension lady seemed to think so.

They are already in the ground, thanks to The Husband. I dug most of the first hole before I ran out of steam, but when I tried to do the second hole I only got a couple of digs before I knew I had to stop. The fatigue is not as bad as it used to be, but my stamina is still way under where I was before all that radiation rigamarole.

So here they are! They were on sale for a reason; the coneflower is tired and the rudbeckia was so rootbound! But I am hoping I can get them successfully settled in. The coneflower is a perennial for sure, and I think the rudbeckia is as well. I would love to see them come back next year.

In case you're curious. Favourite plants so far for our *special* visitors.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds
-Cardinal flower (by far!)
-Liatris; dense blazing star
-Great blue lobelia
-Red clover (surprisingly)

Monarchs
-Butterfly milkweed
-Purple coneflower
-Liatris
-Joe-Pye Weed

#Ottawa #NativePlants (mostly)

New restaurant opened in town!

Tall #OregonGrape #berries & native trailing #blackberries

I'm glad I like them because they're the captains now. High heat, windy storms, and tall plants make for a lively, topsy-turvy view. #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois

Front: Mountain mint (white) at waist level, stiff goldenrod (green and waiting), Joe Pye (purple) is over 8 ft tall. Back: some kind of Asiatic lilly (orange), wild bergamot (pink), cup plant (yellow). Grass and wild violets.

I'm so in love with this part of the backyard this summer!

So many

(Wild bergamot, purple coneflower and black-eyed susans)

Great blue lobelia, blooming more every day

I Owe American Meadows an Apology https://www.allforgardening.com/1387985/i-owe-american-meadows-an-apology/ #NativePlantGardening #NativePlants #RainGardens

Want a buzzing backyard? Scientists reveal the ultimate flower mix to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies! Plant diverse, native blooms for a thriving ecosystem.

@goodnews

#GoodNews #PollinatorGarden #NativePlants #BackyardBiodiversity #BeeFriendly
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-reveal-the-ultimate-flower-mix-for-a-buzzing-backyard/

https://www.allforgardening.com/1387163/%f0%9f%90%9b%f0%9f%90%9e%f0%9f%aa%b2%f0%9f%90%9c/ #NativePlantGardening #NativePlants #RainGardens

Prairie dropseed

Yellow swallowtail feasting on the liatris. #nativeplants