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Ratibida columnifera (Mexican hat, upright prairie coneflower, thimbleflower) with Santolina pinnata (green Lavender cotton) in the background. June 2012 Debuting in my deer resistant meadow garden this year is the US native wildflower, ratibida columnifera , commonly called Mexican hat. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center database, the foliage of this native has a strong smell that repels deer. But wait—there's a catch! The same database says that deer will eat this flower. Hmm... Currently growing beside my open meadow where the deer congregate each night for slumber parties, there's nary a nibble so far. I've not detected an offensive smell—but I'm not a deer! The height at this point is just over two feet, but with the see-through quality of the airy foliage, it works well at the edge of the garden. I'm sharing photos before the entire plant is at peak bloom because I'm so excited over the flowers—and in case the deer do decide to nibble th...

I'm wild about Wild Quinine ( parthenium integrifolium )  after seeing mass plantings at The Battery Gardens in New York in June 2011. In fact, I was so mesmerized by the tiny white pearl blooms that I failed to take one photo, but found a few on the gardens website ! I returned to do a bit of research and decided that this is a native wildflower to try in my meadow garden for 2012. Quinine is a perennial that blooms in summer. Seed heads can remain over the winter. zones:  3a-8b height: 36-38" light:    low to full sun soil:      medium Finding the plants is not impossible, but I decided to try seeds for next year. According to the instructions on my seed packet, it is best to plant quinine in the fall or cold stratify for two to three months.  Fall sowing has always given me good results as our weather can often turn too hot, too soon in the spring. I'm not one to pamper pots, so I prefer to direct sow into the ground.  With the moisture fr...

Keep the bees alive. Don't use insecticide. Let's give 'em something to buzz about. A variety of flowers attracts pollinators. Agastache, butterfly bush, cleome,liatris, rose campion, coneflowers, Russian sage and bee balm in bloom. June 2011. In our busy bee lives, we sometimes miss important announcements. A special thanks to  Gail at Clay and Limestone  for publicizing  National Pollinator Week (June 20-26 20110) . Pollinating is not just for bees. Ants, birds, butterflies, moths, wasps—and even wind and water are pollinators. Keeping chemicals out of the garden not only helps the insects but helps prevent pollution of our natural water sources and the air we breathe. Everyone loves hummingbirds and growing monarda (bee balm) and salvia is a great way to attract the little sippers to your garden. Other hummingbird favorites include rose campion, cleome, agastache and zinnias. The clearwing hummingbird moth  (click link for my best picture) is one of the most fasc...

Hemaris thysbe (clearwing hummingbird moth) visits the Liatris ligulistyli s (Rocky Mountain blazing star). June 17, 2011. (If this photo is too large for your browser, click on it to view in a separate window.) There's a Hemaris thysbe on the Liatris ligulistylis . I can't say that three times unless I've had three cups of coffee. It also helps to be wide awake so I can tell the difference between a hummingbird and a hummingbird moth. Hemaris thysbe is better known as a clearwing hummingbird moth. Liatris ligulistylis is better known as Rocky Mountain or meadow blazing star. Both are natives, though the blazing star is typically found west of Missouri. Host plants for the moth include honeysuckle ( lonicera ), hawthorn, cherry and plum ( prunus ) trees. The moth enjoys the nectar of blazing star and other garden favorites such as bee balm and phlox. Just like a butterfly, this moth starts as a caterpillar and undergoes metamorphosis. Blazing star grows 4-6 feet in cult...

Lantana 'Miss Huff' with salvia 'Black & Blue' in Helen's garden A big happy birthday wish to the gardener who inspired the combination in today's feature. Helen Yoest at Gardening with Confidence™  is celebrating her birthday on March 3 ! When visiting Helen's garden in September 2009, I was struck by the deep blue of salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' planted with the gold and orange blooms of lantana 'Miss Huff'. These are two easy plants to grow as annuals in cold zones and perennials in warm zones. Both are water-wise and can handle drought conditions with minimal water. Plant in full sun. Afternoon shade is fine in the hottest zones. Lantana camara 'Miss Huff' is a perennial in zones 7-10 with blooms of gold and orange. She can grow quite large, reaching a whopping shrub-size of 4-6 feet in height and width. Late to emerge in spring, usually May in zone 7b, don't cut back lantana in the fall. This shrub is a wonderfu...

A Black Swallowtail caterpillar (cat) munches on bronze fennel to prepare for the great metamorphosis. The opening act for the magic trick. Notice the attachment to the stem and the shape of the cat. Ta-da! Chrysalis (two) on clumping bamboo. The best count of Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars has been around 20. Today, there are at least nine chrysalis on the neighboring clumping bamboo or on the bronze fennel itself. Soon, there will be lots of butterflies! Each photo above is of a different cat. Caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly—all stages of metamorphosis in the garden this week. Please take a look at Randy Emmitt's website for great educational photos and identification of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Although I have many BST cats, I seem to always photograph the similar Pipevine, "dark form" of Eastern Tiger or the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies—but, I never see those cats! Words and photos by Freda Cameron , Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel . Al...

Agastache for August color. There are at least six varieties in this photo and multiples of those. The hottest summer on record may also end up as one of the most colorful. The drought-tolerant agastache, the primary perennials in my garden are turning out a stellar performance! Recent rains revived the garden, making this the most colorful August yet for the deer resistant garden, established in 2007. Labeled as agastache 'Black Adder' but it looks a lot like 'Purple Haze' which I also grow. Zones 6-9. Agastache 'Heatwave' lives up to its name. (background includes purple fountain grass and foliage of perennial blue flax). Zones 5-10. Agastache 'Salmon & Pink' is my oldest variety that started out in the cottage garden in 2005. It rules the deer resistant garden. Zones 6-10. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' held on to its color better this year. Could it be that it liked the supplemental watering? Or, has it matured? Zones 5-9. Agastache 'Summer...

Joe Pye Weed 'Little Joe' (eupatorium dubium) Fluttering and floating—the garden is full of life with butterflies. It's a delightful experience to walk through a garden and be brushed on the cheek by soft wings. Although I'm using swallowtails for my photos, there are many more varieties in the garden. For a butterfly garden, success is guaranteed if you include agastache, cosmos, joe pye weed, milkweed, butterfly bushes, lantana, salvia and zinnias. There are many other nectar and host plants for butterflies, but these are the favorites in my garden. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is a favorite, attracting many butterflies as well as Gold Finches and bees. Agastache 'Cotton Candy' is proving to be as popular as 'Blue Fortune' with me and the butterflies! Agastache 'Heat Wave', with tubular blooms is also loved by hummingbirds. Bog sage (salvia uliginosa) is great for moist areas in the garden, but can handle drought. Another hummingbird favori...

Just mention "weed" to a gardener, and you're likely to hear moaning and groaning. It's too bad that a few good perennials have a common name that includes that infamous word.  I've created a garden section dedicated to three good weeds—Joe Pye Weed 'Little Joe', Swamp Milk weed 'Cinderella' and Iron weed . Although the top sections of my deer resistant garden are for drought-tolerant plants and lean soil, the bottom section is moist when it rains. Plants for the lower section are suited to rich soil and wet winters, but can survive drought with drip irrigation. This color-coordinated combination works well with blooms from pink to purple. All three grow to a similar size and bloom times overlap, from middle to late summer. But, I didn't plant these just for a good design. These perennials are bee and butterfly magnets! A new addition to my garden this year, Joe Pye Weed (eupatorium dubium) 'Little Joe' is standing trial in the deer r...