Monday 13 July 2009

Rain and native planting........

Rain overnight........perfect. Warm sunny day..........perfect.
I really love rain on flowers...........

so very, very pretty.


Teasels are one of my favourite native plants. They are not for a formal garden but in a wild area, for me, there is nothing better.



I just love the colour........
and the way bees just wrap themselves up in the bloom.
Another favourite English lavender........and when a peacock butterfly visits, can it get any better??
Have you a favourite native flower???


18 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

There are just too many native flowers to pick just one. Right now what is catching my eye is the Milkweed that is blooming and luring Monarch butterflies amongst other bugs to it. I want to start a wildflower area in the side lot. This will be one of my first plants to sow.

Love your butterfly photo. We could use some of your rain too.

Wendy said...

Oh, I love rain on flowers. They look so alive! Your pic of the butterfly is beautiful. She looks so contented.

I'm not even sure what's native in my area. Those lilies I tried to rescue seem to grow in our sandy soil and not mind whether we have rain or not. So I think right now I like those orange lilies. I only got some bulbs, so I'll have to wait until next year to see if they take.

Lavender is nice. I plant it in a pot. Wish it grew as nicely here as it does in your area.
Happy gardening!

beckie said...

Cheryl, what lovely photos. Everything looks so fresh after a gentle rain. And those bees and the butterfly are gorgeous. She does look like a peocock with those 'eyes'. I am so glad you enjoyed your visit with the Trust people. Isn't it wonderful to talk to someone who has the same passions as you?! Can't wait for the newspaper article.

Rose and I are just getting ito native plants. The native 'Prairie Phlox' is blooming now and I think is kin to Gail's PPPP. There is a native coneflower too, but am not sure were we can find some of that. Then the butterfly weed is native, but just barely as we are on the very northern edge of where it will survive the winter. Which one to chose???

Had a busy weekend with the grands, but it was fun. Would love to be able to have them a couple of weeks. The adventures we could have. :)

Take care and have a great week.

Cheryl said...

Hi Lisa.....I have seen milkweed on some blogs....it is lovely....
I was reading yesterday that on rare occasions the Monarch butterfly takes the 3500 mile journey across the Atlantic and reaches our shores. Milkweed is a rare garden plant or greenhouse plant here, so its survival is doubtful....an interesting read though.....

A wildflower area would be lovely.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Wendy....I think that everyone adores lavender, so pretty and the perfume is lovely.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Beckie....the butterfly is a peacock....spot on, well done.....
I am so pleased to hear that you and Rose are planting natives....it will benefit you and the wildlife....
I have noticed a huge difference this year.....all natives have come through the dry spell so well....the non natives have struggled....so there is the answer for easy gardening.....

Have a great week, so pleased that you enjoyed the grandchildren...they are so heart warming.....

Liz said...

Wonderful Peacock photo, the purple on the wings nicely mirrors that of the Lavendar!

So jealous of the teasel, I've been unsuccessful in growin any so far, both these and ox-eye daisy just don't seem to be my friends! :D

I'll have another go and hopefully next year I'll get something, perhaps I'm on a run as I also had a successful year for wild red poppies :)

My favourite wild flower would have to be native Bluebells - Hyacinthoids non scripta. They take bring back very fond memories of my childhood, and they're just so magical.

ShySongbird said...

The rain on the flowers does look pretty, we have quite unsettled weather here this week so plenty of raindrops on flowers here too.

How lovely to have room to grow Teasels, such a lovely sculptural plant and so valuable to insects.

My favourite is, and always has been the Common Primrose.

Rose said...

Cheryl, what a beautiful butterfly! I have never seen one of these before. The garden always seems to look so much better after a rain, and, of course, the photos always turn out better, too, with a few raindrops on them:)

My favorite native--of course, it is the coneflower. But right now everything is blooming along the roadsides and in undeveloped areas; most of all, I think I just like the combination of all them when they're in bloom.

Roses and Lilacs said...

What a lovely butterfly. I enjoy seeing these beautiful creatures from different parts of the world. We have teasel growing all around here. A menace to walk thru but nice in dried arrangements. I hadn't realized the bees or butterflies used it. I will pay better attention.
Marnie

Cheryl said...

Hi Liz....we all have plants that do not like our soil....teasels do a little too well here but I do love them in drifts. There is nothing better than seeing a charm of Goldfinch feeding on the seeds in Autumn.
Bluebells are without doubt beautiful.....my daughter has an ancient wood at the bottom of her garden. This spring we walked through the bluebells....it was the most magical and lovely thing. The scent as we walked was wonderful......

I posted your seeds today....hope they arrive soon.......enjoy.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Jan....the primrose, who does not love this sweet flower.....I have them dotted all over my garden....I would NOT be without them......

Cheryl said...

Hi Rose.....I am so excited, some of my coneflowers are up and have huge buds on. I thought I had lost most of them. I can understand why you love this bloom, they are a bit special. Thank you for introducing them to me....

The butterfly is a peacock......

Cheryl said...

Hi Marnie....teasels do snag your clothes....and can cause scratches on the skin....regardless of that I love them. Goldfinch also love the seeds and feed on them in Autumn....

They also look great when frosted in the winter......

Gail said...

Cheryl, The peacock butterfly is beautiful and I think teasel is, too! It would look perfect in my garden! I just ordered Natural Garden Style: Gardening Inspired by Nature" by Noel Kingsbury thinking it might be a good read for a native gardener. Have you read it?


Have I a favorite native flower! Well, I am pretty crazy about Phlox pilosa and I do adore The Susans...right now Phlox paniculata has my attention! Thank you for asking! gail

Cheryl said...

Hi Gail....I have not read this book....it sounds perfect....another one to go on my list (there are many)....I love books (gardening books)....tku for telling me about it,

I must say Gail I had a feeling I knew your favourite natives (it was not difficult).....I like your favourites to!!

Teasels are statuesque and quite dominating.....but they can easily be pulled.....

Liz said...

Cheryl, I know you have Verbena bonariensis have you never seen your Goldfinch eating the seeds?

Over winter/spring I've often seen mine eating the seeds! I was very surprised to see them sat on the heads eating away, needless to say I now have a fair few more verbena in the garden!

Cheryl said...

Hi Liz....no I have never seen that, interesting....I have a lot of goldfinch here. I wonder if they eat the teasel seeds in preference. I have far more teasel than verbena. Just a thought....I shall make an effort to be more aware of that and see what happens......