A Few Wildflowers From Summer and Fall 2011

Native Wild Blueberry and Bombus (Bumble Bee)

Erigeron annuus Eastern daisy fleabane ~ ?

Mystery Most Common ~  Fleabane ?

Geranium maculatum, Wild Geranium 

Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

Amsonia tabernaemontana (Eastern bluestar)

Thermopsis villosa (Carolina bushpea)

Field of Dancus pusillus (American wild carrot) and Daucus carota (Queen Anne's Lace)

Eastern Black Swallowtail Caterpillar eating Wild Carrot

Verbascum chaixii ? and Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca

Little Skippers on Milkweed

Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower and Aphrodite Fritillary 

                       Eupatorium Maculatum (Joe-Pye weed) and Rudbeckia Herbstonne

Goldenrod and Monarch butterfly with mystery bug

Vernonia gigantea, Tall Ironweed

Fritillary sipping Ironweed

Monarchs on New England Asters

Here are a few of my favorite photographs of some of the wildflowers (and wild flying creatures) in my gardens over this summer and fall. 

Thank you Gail for inspiring all of my wildflower posts over this year and for all of your great work towards preserving native plants . . . through your own gardens and the brilliant articles on your blog, 

as well as, your contributions to the fabulous Beautiful Wildlife Gardens blog.

You are an inspiration to many and a gracious champion for native plants and wildlife. Congratulations on another year of informative posts for your creation 'Wildflower Wednesday.'

If you, dear treasured readers, would like to see other wildflower posts inspired by Gail, please visit 'Wildflower Wednesday' and her wonderful, wild and greatly native garden Clay and Limestone.  

Birds in Review Part XVII 'Living Bird Feeders' Perennial Providers

I have been focusing on some of the trees and shrubs in my gardens that are like 'living bird feeders.' Countless perennials offer seeds and berries for birds as well. I am only mentioning a few that grow here in my gardens and wildlife habitat. 

Soft scattered yellow blooms of Solidago, commonly known as goldenrod, dance in the afternoon light, along the north field. Monarch Butterflies are often seen flitting from one plant to another, sipping Solidago nectar, during late summer and into cooler autumn days.

Later, as the flowers fade, a female Common Yellowthroat may not be enjoying the plentiful seeds of goldenrod, but more likely the many insects attracted to the flowers. Goldfinches most certainly are big fans of the seeds. Please do not blame goldenrod for the pain ragweed causes. 

If we leave our plants standing after they have flowered, birds will have many seeds during the fall and winter months.

A tiny caterpillar becomes a morsel of food.

Wild native perennials grow harmoniously here at Flower Hill Farm, right along with other more ornamental plantings. I love the wild touch and the benefits are great for wildlife. I have featured American pokeweed, Pokeberry, Phytolaccaceae and Solidago before, in a Wildflower Wednesday Post . Today I add these valued native perennials to my 'Living Bird Feeder' series. Pokeberry is poisonous, however, so allow to grow with caution. Robins and Cedar Waxwings go wild for the ripe berries. I often see the dark purple droppings about the garden in late summer, as proof to the bird's delight in dining on the fruit. 

The dark purple-black berries are alluring and will disappear very quickly. Both the shinny berries and the roots are poisonous. Native Americans may have gathered the leafy shoots, before the pink developed, and cooked the greens for food.

Native Aralia Racemosa, American Spiknard, is of the Ginseng family and a remarkable perennial. Sprouting fresh each spring, it's expansive foliage spreads out fully . . .  even in the shade . . .  shooting up to a shrub-like plant by early summer. Spiknard then begins to create a bounty of berries that birds love. A very handsome and giving plant.

The Aralia Racemosa berries are a favorite of the Catbirds. I would like to transplant some, to make cluster plantings around my shrubberies. I believe they are hidden out in the front shade garden . . . only the clever and cunning Catbirds have discovered them in over a decade.

This post concludes my 'Living Bird Feeder' series. I have only touched on a tiny fraction of what we can grow, to support our wild feathered friends. Whenever I add a plant, shrub or tree to the gardens now, I consider their value as bird food and for that matter, nourishment for butterflies and bees too. 

I want to share what my world is like today. I have set up a winter feeding station . . . inspired by the Bluebirds coming for my flies. The Bluebirds did find the water, but I have not seen them at the mealy worm feeder yet. Chickadees have discovered them!

A Tufted Titmouse has too!

Meanwhile the Cedar-Waxwings are barely making a dent into the abundant Crabapple crop.

'Old Man Bob' is not the only one up to his neck in snow! Is it a fantastic or fanciful musing to imagine he might be tired of it?! Thought those of you working in your gardens now might like to see what the landscape is like here in New England. 

It is Blooming Friday over at Katarina's Swedish blog Roses and Stuff. 

This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count. I will be sharing some of my favorite bird portraits, taken throughout the seasons, in the upcoming posts. A Parade of Flower Hill Farm's Avifauna. In the meantime, enjoy counting your backyard birds! 

Wildflowers for Birds, Butterflies and Bees

 Common pokeweed can grow upwards to ten feet and is a native to eastern North America. 

 It must be confusing to the perennial plant to have so many names. It is known as Phytolacca decandra, Pokeberry, Pokeweed, Inkberry, American cancer, Cancer root, American nightshade, Virginia poke and more. 

Beware, this is a very poisonous plant! Children and adults have been poisoned by eating the berries and leaves. The root is the most toxic part. Be careful when handling the stems and leaves. 

Pokeweed has an alluring beauty, especially when bathed in light. Clever scientist have uncovered a protein and now call it 'pokeweed antiviral protein or PAP', This protein may help prevent the growth of HIV virus in humans cells. 

Birds love the berries and most likely planted this one beneath an apple tree.  It seems the plant is only poisonous to mammals. Cedar Waxwings flock to the plant and are feasting on the purple-black berries. You may recognize this photo from a recent Garden Walk Bloom Day. It illustrates the beauty and size of Pokeweed so well it gets another show. 

Cedar Waxwings are picking the ripe berries, leaving behind tiny flower like calyxes. 

Native Americans use the berries to make a red dye and use all parts of the plant for medicinal cures. You can see the sky and the photographer reflected in the shinny fruit.

If you look carefully, you can see the tiny flowers at the tip of the cluster and the berries beginning to form. In this photo one can observe the entire cycle from flower to mature berry.

Solidago sp or Goldenrod is an autumn perennial favorite for butterflies, bees and a variety of other insects. It is a greatly misunderstood plant, as it blooms at the same time as Ragweed, which causes allergic reactions. Ragweed is pollinated by the wind, whereas Goldenrod has fat heavy pollen that gets carried off by the bees and other insects. It is not the culprit that creates itchy eyes and hurtful sinuses. 

The north field is aglow with yellow. Monarch butterflies are grateful for the sweet Goldenrod nectar. This female looks pretty fresh. I eyed her, while holding a newly emerged male out towards the gardens. He was not eager to take that first flight, so I took him out to join his cousin or perhaps sibling. 

He will fly when he is ready and may take a sip from a few of the tiny florets of Goldenrod before he is off. It is Wildflower Wednesday over at gracious Gail's 'Clay and Limestone' . . . why not take a click over that way to see other wild blooms around the country.