The Plants Bees Love
In this day and time, I would hope gardeners understand the importance of bees and other insects in the garden. However, from time to time, a person comes into the nursery and asks for plants that will NOT attract bees (sigh). They are not really gardeners though, they are just looking for a plant to fill a space. I find myself more and more intrigued by bees although I don't know that much about the different types. I do make note of plants that they like and try to add as many as I can to the garden. Over the past weeks, with watering a daily activity amidst a lingering heat-wave, I've conducted an informal survey and noted the plants that they seem to like the most. Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias tuberosa ) Butterfly Weed ( Asclepias tuberosa ) is one of my favorite perennials and the bees love it too. I don't think I've ever seen a butterfly on it but we don't seem to have many of those. Everybody wants the "Showy Milkweed" (Asclepias speciosa) but I knew
Wow that first one is a stunner! The 2nd I've seen in person here and there--if you can grow it this year and strengthen the bulb for next spring it might be quite impressive. 3rd--is the bulb soft? Sometimes they take forever here. But--much different climate, of course. Could you grow them outdoors in your old garden in the South?
ReplyDeleteThe bulb is not soft so perhaps I should be patient. We could not grow them outdoors, except during the summer, but then they had to be brought back inside. I've pretty much given up on trying to get a repeat out of them. I've never had success with that.
DeleteI've never had an Amaryllis/Hippeastrum fail to bloom at all until this year. I bought 3 'Estella', 2 of which I gave as gifts, and none of them has even shown signs of life. I had a few bloom earlier but most of the others (excluding 'Estella') are actively moving in that direction. I grow all of mine outside so, even in our mild winter climate, they bloom later here.
ReplyDeleteI'm in NE Alabama but a little south of where Phillip lived. I've planted the bulbs outside and they have survived and bloomed in the spring. I planted the bulb so it doesn't show at all, unlike when it is in a pot.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
DeleteI too potted up 3 bulbs at the end of November, figuring that way when I took down all the Christmas decorations I'd be closing in on fabulous blooms to cheer the space. Wrong. One is just finally open (Evergreen Cybister, it's fabulous), one is starting to bust open (white) and the other, La Paz', is still just buds and lots of leaves. It's been fun watching them develop though.
ReplyDeleteI've learned that it takes much longer for them to bloom than the usually stated "6 weeks".
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