First Day of Summer's Eve 2012

Below are some images captured the evening before the first day of summer.

The above daylily - Hemerocallis - is of unknown variety. It was purchased from a local hybridizer.

Red Hot Poker, Torch Lily, Tritoma - Kniphofia uvaria
This plant was started from seed some 15 years ago and never moved or divided.

Butterfly bush - Buddleia weyeriana "Honeycomb".
Purchased as a plant via mail order again some 15 years ago and never moved.

Honeysuckle - Lonicer sempervirens "Alabama Crimson".
Purchased as a plant via mail order again some 15 years ago and divided at least once from a self-rooted low hanging branch. Purchased to attract hummingbirds using natural red trumpet shaped flowers, it has worked well doing just that over the last four years.


The 2012 growing season continues in USDA zone 6b.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Birds in my Garden

I planted several flowers with the intention of attracting wildlife, specifically, birds and insects.  I have a red honeysuckle, hardy geraniums, lavender, purple coneflowers, verbena, zinnias, Thai basil, sweet basil, sage, buddleja, hydrangea Lacecap, lobelia, lots of daylillies and hostas.  Hummingbirds are attracted to the honeysuckle and the red to blue color petunias.  Gold finch are attracted to the seeds from the purple coneflower.  All the rest attract butterflies and bees/parasitic wasps.

The buddleja aka Butterfly Bush attracts the most butterflies by far with the zinnias running a close second.  The honeysuckle-Alabama Crimson attracts the hummingbirds.  I also have in the garden two bird baths and a hanging sack of black thistle seeds.  The bird baths attract all kinds of birds, some prefer the bath on the ground rather than the one standing 3ft tall.  The baths must be washed and scrubed once per week to remove the dirt.  I also placed a dripping watering device about four inches above the surface of the water on the tall bath to add water daily and to make a sound that the birds may hear the splash.  I placed the standing bath and hung the sack of thistle seeds within three feet of my breakfast room window and the show is almost nonstop.  The black thistle has two gold finch clinging to the sack almost constantly.  You just have to love the color of those birds.  There are house finches in the bird bath that look as though someone dipped them them head first into raspberry juice.

I have photographs of the currently flowering plants just below.  Tell me how you attract wildlife to your garden.

Day Lilly-Hemerocallis

Day Lilly Double-Hemerocallis

Hardy Geranium - Cranesbill

Honeysuckle- Lonicera sempervirens 'Alabama Crimson'

Hydrangea Lacecap

Verbena

Some kind of bee on Thai Basil

Swallowtail Butterfly on Zinnia

Swallowtail Butterfly on Verbena

My neighbor's aggressive Campsis Radicans-Orange

Petunia